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WILLIAM LILLY'S 



HISTORY 

OF HIS 

LIFE AND TIMES, 

FROM THE YEAR 1U02 TO 1681. 

Wlxittm tip f^tmstlf, 

IN THE SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR OF HIS AGE, TO HIS WORTHY FRIEND, 

ELIAS ASHMOLE, ESQ. 



PUBLISHED FROM THE ORIGINAL MS. 
London, 1715. 



LONDON . 

RE-PRINTED FOR CHARLES BALDWYN, 

NEWGATE STREET. 
M.DCCC.XXII. 



6 



FifiS 

.1. 

! pw /L 



Gilt 

Mrs. H. C. Boltoi 

1912 



MAURICE, PRINTER, FENCHURCH-STREET. 



<1 



LIST OF PLATES- 



William Lilly, (from Marshall's Print) to face Title. 

Ditto (from the Picture) to face Life. 

Dr. Simon Forman 34 

John Booker 68 

Charles the Second -. 95 

Charles the First 107 

Hugh Peters 134 

Speaker Lenthall 159 

Oliver Cromwell 175 

Dr. John Dee 223 

Edward Kelly 226 

Napier of Merchiston >. . 236 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



Prefixed to the Lives of Elias Ashmole & William Lilly. 
In 1 vol. 8vo. 1772. 



ALTHOUGH we cannot, with justice, com- 
pare Elias Ashmole to that excellent Antiquary 
John Leland, or William Lilly to the learned 
and indefatigable Thomas Heame ; yet I think 
we may fairly rank them with such writers as 
honest Anthony Wood, whose Diary greatly 
resembles that of his cotemporary, and intiiaate 
friend, Elias Ashmole. 

Some anecdotes, connected with affairs of 
state; many particulars relating to illustrious 



11 

persons, and antient and noble families ; several 
occurrences in which the Public is interested, 
and other matters of a more private nature, can 
only be found in works of this kind. History 
cannot stoop to the meanness of examining the 
materials of which Memoirs are generally 
composed. 

And yet the pleasure and benefit resulting 
from such books are manifest to every reader. 

I hope the admirers of the very laborious 
Thomas Hearne will pardon me, if I should 
venture to give it as my opinion, and with much 
deference to their judgment, that William 
Lilly s Life and Death of Charles the first 
contains more useful matter of instruction, as 
well as more splendid and striking occurrences, 
than are to be found in several of those monkish 
volumes published by that learned Oxonian. 



Ill 

Lilly affords us many curious particular's 
relating to the life of that unfortunate Prince, 
ivhich are no where else to be found. In de- 
lineating the character of Charles, he seems 
dispassionate and impartial, and indeed it agrees 
perfectly with the general portraiture of him, 
as it is drawn by our most authentic historians. 

The History of Lilly's Life and Times is 
certainly one of the most entertaining narra- 
tives in our language. With respect to the 
science he professed of calculating nativities, 
casting figures, the prediction of events, and 
other appendages of astrology, he would fain 
make us think that he was a very solemn and 
serious believer. Indeed, such is the manner of 
telling his story, that sometimes the reader may 
possibly be induced to suppose Lilly rather an 
enthusiast than an impostor. He relates many 
anecdotes of the pretenders to foretell events, 



IV 



raise spirits, and other impostures, with such 
seeming candor, and with such an artless sim- 
plicity of style, that we are almost persuaded 
to take his word when he protests such an in- 
violable respect to truth and sincerity. 

The powerful genius of Shakespeare could 
carry him triumphantly through subjects the 
most unpromising, and fables the most improba- 
ble : we therefore cannot wonder at the success 
of such of his plays, where the magic of witches 
and the incantation of spirits are described, or 
where the power of fairies is introduced ; when 
such was the credulity of the times respecting 
these imaginary beings, and when that belief 
was made a science of, and kept alive by artful 
and superstitious, knavish, and enthusiastic 
teachers ; what Lilly relates of these people, 
considered only as matter of fact, is surely very 
curious. 



To conclude; I know no record but this 
where we can find so just and so entertaining 
a History of Doctor Dee, Doctor Forman, 
Booker, Winder, Kelly, Evans, (Lilly s Mas- 
ter,) the famous William Poole, and Captain 
Bubb Fiske, Sarah Shelborne, and many others. 

To these we may add, the uncommon effects 
of the Crystal, the appearance of Queen Mabb, 
and other strange and miraculous operations, 
which owe their origin to folly, curiosity, su- 
perstition, bigotry, and imposture. 




R. Cooper sculp* 






WH^ILSi^M IL2ILILT. 



'^^^^^^fe^<^^^ / uM. 



PUBLISHED 3Y CHAB.LE S & HEZn t SY BALD"WYN,NEWG-AIE STBEE T . 



THE 



LIFE 



OF 



WILLIAM LILLY, 

STUDENT IN ASTROLOGY. 



Wrote by himself in the 66th Year of his Age, at Hersham, in the Parish 
of Walton-upon-Tharaes, in the County of Surry. Propria Manu. 



* I was born in the county of Leicester, in 
an obscure town, in the north-west borders 
thereof, called Diseworth, seven miles south 
of the town of Derby, one mile from Castle- 
Donnington, a town of great rudeness, 
wherein it is not remembered that any of 

* " William Lilly was a prominent, and, in the opinion of 
many of his cotemporaries, a very important personage in 



o LILLY'S HISTORY 

the farmers thereof did ever educate any of 
their sons to learning, only my grandfather 
sent his younger son to Cambridge, whose 

the most eventful period of English history. He was a 
principal actor in the farcical scenes which diversified the 
bloody tragedy of civil war ; and while the King and the 
Parliament were striving for mastery in the field, he was 
deciding their destinies in the closet. The weak and the 
credulous of both parties, who sought to be instructed in 
6 destiny's dark counsels,' flocked to consult the ' wily 
Archimage/ who, with exemplary impartiality, meted out 
victory and good fortune to his clients, according to the 
extent of their faith, and the weight of their purses. A 
few profane Cavaliers might make his name the burthen 
of their malignant rhymes — a few of the more scrupulous 
among the Saints might keep aloof in sanctified abhor- 
rence of the ' Stygian sophister' — but the great majority 
of the people lent a willing and reverential ear to his pro- 
phecies and prognostications. Nothing was too high or 
too low — too mighty or too insignificant, for the grasp of 
his genius. The stars, his informants, were as communi- 
cative on the most trivial as on the most important sub- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 9 

name was Robert Lilly, and died Vicar of 
Cambden in Gloucestershire, about 1640. 
The town of Diseworth did formerly be- 

jects. If a scheme was set on foot to rescue the king, or 
to retrieve a stray trinket — to restore the royal authority, 
or to make a frail damsel an honest woman — to cure the 
nation of anarchy, or a lap-dog of a surfeit, William Lilly 
was the oracle to be consulted. His almanacks were spel- 
led over in the tavern and quoted in the senate; they 
nerved the arm of the soldier, and rounded the periods of 
the orator. The fashionable beauty, dashing along in her 
calash from St. James's or the Mall, and the prim, starched 
dame, from Watling-street or Bucklersbury, with a staid 
foot-boy, in a plush jerkin, plodding behind her — the 
reigning toast among * the men of wit about town,' and the 
leading groaner in a tabernacle concert — glided alter- 
nately into the study of the trusty wizard, and poured 
into his attentive ear strange tales of love, or trade, or 
treason. The Roundhead stalked in at one door, whilst 
the Cavalier was hurried out at the other. 

" The Confessions of a man so variously consulted and 
trusted, if written with the candour of a Cardan or a Rous- 



10 LILLY'S HISTORY 

long unto the Lord Seagrave, for there is one 
record in the hands of my cousin Melborn 
Williamson, which mentions one acre of land 

seau, would indeed be invaluable. The Memoirs of Wil- 
liam Lilly, though deficient in this essential ingredient, 
yet contain a variety of curious and interesting anecdotes 
of himself and his cotemporaries, which, where the vanity 
of the writer, or the truth of his art, is not concerned, 
may be received with implicit credence. 

'■? The simplicity and apparent candour of his narrative 
might induce a hasty reader of this book to believe him a 
well-meaning but somewhat silly personage, the dupe of 
his own speculations — the deceiver of himself as well as 
of others. But an attentive examination of the events of 
his life, even as recorded by himself, will not warrant so 
favourable an interpretation. His systematic and suc- 
cessful attention to his own interest — his dexterity in 
keeping on 'the windy side of the law' — his perfect poli- 
tical pliability — and his presence of mind and fertility of 
resources when entangled in difficulties — indicate an ac- 
complished impostor, not a crazy enthusiast. It is very 
possible and probable, that, at the outset of his career, he 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 1 1 

abutting north upon the gates of the Lord 
Seagrave ; and there is one close, called 
Hall-close, wherein the ruins of some ancient 

was a real believer in the truth and lawfulness of his art, 
and that he afterwards felt no inclination to part with so 
pleasant and so profitable a delusion : like his patron, 
Cromwell, whose early fanaticism subsided into hypocrisy, 
he carefully retained his folly as a cloak for his knavery. 
Of his success in deception, the present narrative exhi- 
bits abundant proofs. The number of his dupes was 
not confined to the vulgar and illiterate, but included in- 
dividuals of real worth and learning, of hostile parties and 
sects, who courted his acquaintance and respected his 
predictions. His proceedings were deemed of sufficient 
importance to be twice made the subject of a parliamentary 
inquiry ; and even after the Restoration — when a little 
more scepticism, if not more wisdom, might have been ex- 
pected — we find him examined by a Committee of the 
House of Commons, respecting his fore-knowledge of the 
great fire of London. We know not whether it 'should 
more move our anger or our mirth,' to see an assemblage 
of British Senators — the cotemporaries of Hampden and 






12 LILLY'S HISTORY 

buildings appear, and particularly where 
the dove-house stood ; and there is also 
the ruins of decayed fish-ponds and other 
outhouses. This town came at length to be 
the inheritance of Margaret, Countess of 
Richmond, mother of Henry VII. which 

Falkland — of Milton and Clarendon — in an age which 
roused into action so many and such mighty energies — 
gravely engaged in ascertaining the causes of a great na- 
tional calamity, from the prescience of a knavish fortune- 
teller, and puzzling their wisdoms to interpret the symbo- 
lical flames, which blazed in the mis-shapen wood-cuts of 
his oracular publications. 

"As a set-off against these honours may be mentioned, 
the virulent and unceasing attacks of almost all the party 
scribblers of the day ; but their abuse he shared in com- 
mon with men, whose talents and virtues have outlived 
the malice of their cotemporaries, and 

1 Whose honours with increase of ages grow, 
As streams roll down, enlarging as they flow/ " 

Retrospective Review, Vol. ii. p. 51. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 13 

Margaret gave this town and lordship of 
Diseworth unto Christ's College in Cam- 
bridge, the Master and Fellows whereof have 
ever since, and at present, enjoy and possess 
it. 

In the church of this town there is but one 
monument, and that is a white marble stone, 
now almost broken to pieces, which was 
placed there by Robert Lilly, my grandfa- 
ther, in memory of Jane his wife, the daugh- 
ter of Mr. Poole of Dalby, in the same 
county, a family now quite extinguished. 
My grandmother's brother was Mr. Henry 
Poole, one of the Knights of Rhodes, or 
Templars, who being a soldier at Rhodes at 
the taking thereof by Solyman the Magnifi- 
cent, and escaping with his life, came after- 
wards to England, and married the Lady 
Parron or Perham, of Oxfordshire, and was 
called, during his life, Sir Henry Poole. Wil- 



14 LILLY'S HISTORY 

liain Poole the Astrologer knew him very- 
well, and remembers him to have been a very- 
tall person, and reputed of great strength in 
his younger years. 

The impropriation of this town of Dise- 
worth was formerly the inheritance of three 
sisters, whereof two became votaries; one 
in the nunnery of Langly in the parish of 
Diseworth, valued at the suppression, I mean 
the whole nunnery, at thirty -two pounds 
per annum, and this sister's part is yet en- 
joyed by the family of the Grayes, who now, 
and for some years past, have the enjoyment 
and possession of all the lands formerly be- 
longing to the nunnery in the parish of Dise- 
worth, and are at present of the yearly value 
of three hundred and fifty pounds per an- 
num. One of the sisters gave her part of 
the great tithes unto a religious house in 
Bredon upon the Hill; and, as the inhabi- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 15 

tants report, became a religious person after- 
wards. 

The third sister married, and her part of 
the tithes in succeeding ages became the 
Earl of Huntingdon's, who not many years 
since sold it to one of his servants. 

The donation of the vicarage is in the gift 
of the Grayes of Langley, unto whom they 
pay yearly, (I mean unto the Vicar) as I am 
informed, six pounds per annum. Very 
lately some charitable citizens have pur- 
chased one-third portion of the tithes, and 
given it for a maintenance of a preaching 
minister, and it is now of the value of about 
fifty pounds per annum. 

There have been two hermitages in this 
parish; the last hermit was well remem- 
bered by one Thomas Cooke, a very ancient 
inhabitant, who in my younger years ac- 
quainted me therewith. 



16 LILLY'S HISTORY 

This town of Diseworth is divided into 
three parishes ; one part belongs under Loc- 
ington, in which part standeth my father's 
house, over - against the west end of the 
steeple, in which I was born : some other 
farms are in the parish of Bredon, the rest 
in the parish of Diseworth. 

In this town, but in the parish of Locking- 
ton, was I born, the first day of May 1602. 

My father's name was William Lilly, son 
of Robert, the son of Robert, the son of 
Rowland, &c. My mother was Alice, the 
daughter of Edward Barham, of Fiskerton 
Mills, in Nottinghamshire, two miles from 
Newark upon Trent: this Edward Barham 
was born in Norwich, and well remembered 
the rebellion of Kett the Tanner, in the days 
of Edward VI. 

Our family have continued many ages in 
this town as yeomen ; besides the farm my 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 17 

father and his ancestors lived in, both my 
father and grandfather had much free land, 
and many houses in the town, not belonging 
to the college, as the farm wherein they were 
all born doth, and is now at this present of 
the value of forty pounds per annum, and in 
possession of my brother's son ; but the free- 
hold land and houses, formerly purchased by 
my ancestors, were all sold by my grandfa- 
ther and father ; so that now our family 
depend wholly upon a college lease. Of my 
infancy I can speak little, only I do remem- 
ber that in the fourth year of my age I had 
the measles. 

I was, during my minority, put to learn at 
such schools, and of such masters, as the 
rudeness of the place and country afforded ; 
my mother intending I should be a scholar 
from my infancy, seeing my father's back- 
slidings in the world, and no hopes by plain 



18 LILLY'S HISTORY 

husbandry to recruit a decayed estate ; 
therefore upon Trinity Tuesday, 1613, my 
father had me to Ashby de la Zouch, to be 
instructed by one Mr. John Brinsley ; one, 
in those times, of great abilities for instruc- 
tion of youth in the Latin and Greek tongues ; 
he was very severe in his life and conversa- 
tion, and did breed up many scholars for the 
universities : in religion he was a strict Puri- 
tan, not conformable wholly to the ceremo- 
nies of the Church of England. In this town 
of Ashby de la Zouch, for many years toge- 
ther, Mr. Arthur Hildersham exercised his 
ministry at my being there; and all the 
while I continued at Ashby, he was silenced. 
This is that famous Hildersham, who left 
behind him a commentary on the fifty -first 
psalm ; as also many sermons upon the fourth 
of John, both which are printed; he was 
an excellent textuary, of exemplary life, 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 19 

pleasant in discourse, a strong enemy to the 
Brownists, and dissented not from the 
Church of England in any article of faith, 
but only about wearing the surplice, bap- 
tizing with the cross, and kneeling at the 
sacrament ; most of the people in town were 
directed by his judgement, and so continued, 
and yet do continue presbyterianly affected ; 
for when the Lord of Loughborough in 1642, 
1643, 1644, and 1645, had his garrison in 
that town, if by chance at any time any 
troops of horse had lodged within the town, 
though they came late at night to their quar- 
ters; yet would one or other of the town 
presently give Sir John Gell of Derby notice, 
so that ere next morning most of his Majes- 
ty's troops were seized in their lodgings, 
which moved the Lord of Loughborough 
merrily to say, there was not a fart let in 
Ashby, but it was presently carried to Derby. 



20 LILLY'S HISTORY 

The several authors I there learned were 
these, viz. Sententice Pueriles, Cato, Corde- 
rius, JEsops Fables, Tullys Offices, Ovid de 
Tristibus ; lastly, Virgil, then Horace; as 
also Camden s Greek Grammar, Theognis, and 
Homer's Iliads: I was only entered into 
TJdaWs Hebrew Grammar-, he never taught \J 
logick, but often would say it was fit to be 
learned in the universities. 

In the fourteenth year of my age, by a fel- 
low scholar of swarth, black complexion, I 
had like to have my right eye beaten out as 
we were at play ; the same year, about Mi- 
chaelmas, I got a surfeit, and thereupon a 
fever, by eating beech-nuts. 

In the sixteenth year of my age I was 
exceedingly troubled in my dreams concern- 
ing my salvation and damnation, and also 
concerning the safety and destruction of the 
souls of my father and mother ; in the nights 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 21 

I frequently wept, prayed and mourned, for 
fear my sins might offend God. 

In the seventeenth year of my age my 
mother died. 

In the eighteenth year of my age my mas- 
ter Brinsley was enforced from keeping 
school, being persecuted by the Bishop's 
officers ; he came to London, and then lec- 
tured in London, where he afterwards died. 
In this year, by reason of my father's pover- 
ty, I was also enforced to leave school, 
and so came to my fathers house, where I 
lived in much penury for one year, and 
taught school one quarter of a year, until 
God's providence provided better for me. 

For the two last years of my being at 
school, I was of the highest form in the 
school, and chiefest of that form ; I could 
then speak Latin as well as English ; could 
make extempore verses upon any theme; 



22 LILLY'S HISTORY 

all kinds of verses, hexameter, pentameter, 
phaleuciacks, iambicks, sapphicks, &c. so 
that if any scholars from remote schools 
came to dispute, I was ringleader to dispute 
with them ; I could cap verses, &c. If any 
minister came to examine us, I was brought 
forth against him, nor would I argue with 
him unless in the Latin tongue, which I 
found few of them could well speak without 
breaking Priscian's head; which, if once 
they did, I would complain to my master, 
Non bene intelligit linguam Latinam, nee 
prorsus loquitur. In the derivation of words, 
I found most of them defective, nor indeed 
were any of them good grammarians : all 
and every of those scholars who were of my 
form and standing, went to Cambridge and 
proved excellent divines, only poor I, Wil- 
liam Lilly, was not so happy ; fortune then 
frowning upon father's present condition, he 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 23 

not in any capacity to maintain me at the 
university. 

OF THE MANNER HOW I CAME UNTO 
LONDON. 

Worthy sir, I take much delight to re- 
count unto you, even all and every circum- 
stance of my life, whether good, moderate, 
or evil; Deo gloria. 

My father had one Samuel Smatty for his 
Attorney, unto whom I went sundry times 
with letters, who perceiving I was a scholar, 
and that I lived miserably in the country, 
losing my time, nor any ways likely to do 
better, if I continued there; pitying my 
condition, he sent word for me to come and 
speak with him, and told me that he had 
lately been at London, where there was a 
gentleman wanted a youth, to attend him 
and his wife, who could write, &c. 



24 LILLY'S HISTORY 

I acquainted my father with it, who was 
very willing to be rid of me, for I could 
not work, drive the plough, or endure any 
country labour ; my father oft would say, 
I was good for nothing. 

I had only twenty shillings, and no more, 
to buy me a new suit, hose, doublet, &c. 
my doublet was fustian : I repaired to 
Mr. Smatty, when I was accoutred, for a 
letter to my master, which he gave me. 

Upon Monday, April 3, 1620, I departed 
from Diseworth, and came to Leicester : 
but I must acquaint you, that before I 
came away I visited my friends, amongst 
whom I had given me about ten shillings, 
which was a great comfort unto me. On 
Tuesday, April the 4th, I took leave of 
my father, then in Leicester gaol for debt, 
and came along with Bradshaw the carrier, 
the same person with whom many of the 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 25 

Duke of Buckingham's kindred had come 
up with. Hark how the waggons crack 
with their rich lading ! It was a very 
stormy week, cold and uncomfortable : I 
footed it all along ; we could not reach 
London until Palm- Sunday, the 9th of April, 
about half an hour after three in the after- 
noon, at which time we entered Smithfield. 
When I had gratified the carrier and his 
servants, I had seven shillings and sixpence 
left, and no more ; one suit of cloaths upon 
my back, two shirts, three bands, one pair 
of shoes, and as many stockings. Upon 
the delivery of my letter my master enter- 
tained me, and next day bought me a new 
cloak, of which you may imagine (good 
Esquire) whether I was not proud of ; be- 
sides, I saw and eat good white bread, 
contrary to our diet in Leicestershire. My 
master's name was Gilbert Wright, born at 



26 LILLY'S HISTORY 

Market Bosworth in Leicestershire ; my mis- 
tress was born at Ashby de la Zouch, in 
the same county, and in the town where I 
had gone to school. This Gilbert Wright 
could neither write nor read : he lived up- 
on his annual rents, was of no calling or 
profession; he had for many years been 
servant to the Lady Pawlet in Hertford- 
shire ; and when Serjeant Puckering was 
made Lord keeper, he made him keeper 
of his lodgings at Whitehall. When Sir 
Thomas Egerton was made Lord Chan- 
cellor, he entertained him in the same 
place; and when he married a widow in 
Newgate Market, the Lord Chancellor re- 
commended him to the company of Salters, 
London, to admit him into their company, 
and so they did, and my master in 1624, 
was master of that company ; he was a 
man of excellent natural parts, and would 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 27 

speak publickly upon any occasion very 
rationally and to the purpose. I write this, 
that the world may know he was no taylor, 
or myself of that or any other calling or 
profession : my work was to go before my 
master to church ; to attend my master 
when he went abroad; to make clean his 
shoes; sweep the street; help to drive 
bucks when he washed; fetch water in a 
tub from the Thames : I have helped to 
carry eighteen tubs of water in one morning ; 
weed the garden ; all manner of drudgeries 
I willingly performed ; scrape trenchers, 
&c. If I had any profession, it was of this 
nature : I should never have denied being 
a taylor, had I been one ; for there is no 
calling so base, which by God's mercy may 
not afford a livelihood ; and had not my 
master entertained me, I would have been 
of a very mean profession ere I would have 



28 LILLY'S HISTORY 

returned into the country again ; so here 
ends the actions of eighteen years of my 
life. 

My master married his second wife for 
her estate ; she was competently rich ; she 
married him for considerations he performed 
not, (nocturnal society) so that they lived 
very uncomfortably ; she was about seventy 
years of age, he sixty-six or more ; yet 
never was any woman more jealous of a 
husband than she ; insomuch, that when- 
soever he went into London, she was con- 
fident of his going to women ; by those 
means my life was the more uncomfortable, 
it being very difficult to please two such 
opposite natures : however, as to the things 
of this world I had enough, and endured 
their discontents with much sereneness. 
My mistress was very curious to know of 
such as were then called cunning or wise 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 29 

men, whether she should bury her husband ? 
She frequently visited such persons, and 
this occasion begot in me a little desire to 
learn something that way, but wan ting- 
money to buy books, I laid aside these 
motions, and endeavoured to please both 
master and mistress. 

OF MY MISTRESS'S DEATH, AND OCCASION 
THEREOF BY MEANS OF A CANCER IN 
HER BREAST. 

In 1622 she complained of a pain in her 
left breast, whereon there appeared at first 
a hard knob no bigger than a small pea ; 
it increased in a little time very much, was 
very hard, and sometimes would look very 
red ; she took advice of surgeons, had oils, 
sear- cloths, plates of lead, and what not : 
in 1623 it grew very big, and spread all 



30 LILLY'S HISTORY 

over her breast ; then for many weeks 
poultices were applied to it, which in con- 
tinuance of time broke the skin, and then 
abundance of watery thin stuff came from 
it, but nothing else ; at length the matter 
came to suppuration, but never any great 
store issued forth ; it was exceeding noi- 
some and painful ; from the beginning of 
it until she died, she would permit no 
surgeon to dress it but only myself ; I ap- 
plied every thing unto it, and her pains 
were so great the winter before she died, 
that I have been called out of my bed two 
or three times in one night to dress it and 
change plaisters. In 1624 by degrees, with 
scissars, I cut all the whole breast away, 
I mean the sinews, nerves, &c. In one 
fortnight, or little more, it appeared, as it 
were, mere flesh, all raw, so that she could 
scarce endure any unguent to be applied. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 31 

I remember there was a great cleft through 
the middle of the breast, which when that 
fully appeared she died, which was in Sep- 
tember 1624; my master being then in the 
country, his kindred in London would wil- 
lingly have had mourning for her ; but by ad- 
vice of an especial friend of his I contradicted 
them ; nor would I permit them to look into 
any chest or trunk in the house. She was 
decently buried, and so fond of me in the 
time of her sickness, she would never permit 
me out of her chamber, gave me five pounds 
in old gold, and sent me unto a private trunk 
of her's at a friend's house, where she had 
one hundred pounds in gold ; she bid me 
bring it away and take it, but when I opened 
the trunk I found nothing therein; for a 
kinsman of hers had been there a few days 
before, and carried all away : she was in a 
great passion at my relating thereof, because 



32 LILLY'S HISTORY 

she could not gratify my pains in all her sick- 
ness, advised me to help myself, when she 
was gone, out of my master's goods, which I 
never did. 

Courteous Esquire, be not weary of read- 
ing hereof, or what folio we th. 

When my mistress died, she had under her 
arm-hole a small scarlet bag full of many 
things, which, one that was there delivered 
unto me. There was in this bag several 
sigils, some of Jupiter in Trine, others of the 
nature of Venus, some of iron, and one of 
gold, of pure angel-gold, of the bigness of a 
thirty-three shilling piece of King James's 
coin. In the circumference on one side was 
engraven, Vicit Leo de trlbu Judce Tetragram-* 
maton -\- y within the middle there was en- 
graven a holy lamb. In the other circum- 
ference there was Amraphel and three +. 
In the middle, " Sanctus Petrus, Alpha and 
Omega. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 33 

The occasion of framing this sigil was thus ; 
her former husband travelling into Sussex, 
happened to lodge in an inn, and to lie in a 
chamber thereof ; wherein, not many months 
before, a country grazier had lain, and in the 
night cut his own throat; after this night's 
lodging, he was perpetually, and for many 
years, followed by a spirit, which vocally 
and articulately provoked him to cut his 
throat : he was used frequently to say, ' I 
defy thee, I defy thee,' and to spit at the 
spirit ; this spirit followed him many years, 
he not making any body acquainted with it ; 
at last he grew melancholy and discontented ; 
which being carefully observed by his wife, 
she many times hearing him pronounce, ' I 
defy thee,' &c. she desired him to acquaint 
her with the cause of his distemper, which 
he then did. Away she went to Dr. Simon 
Forman, who lived then in Lambeth, and 



34 LILLY'S HISTORY 

acquaints him with it ; who having framed 
this sigil, and hanged it about his neck, he 
wearing it continually untill he died, was 
never more molested by the spirit : I sold 
the sigil for thirty-two shillings, but tran- 
scribed the words verbatim as I have related. 
Sir, you shall now have a story of this Simon 
Forman, as his widow, whom I well knew, 
related it unto me. But before I relate his 
death, I shall acquaint you something of the 
man, as I have gathered them from some ma- 
nuscripts of his own writing. 

OF DR. SIMON FORMAN. 

He was a chandler's son in the city of 
Westminster. He travelled into Holland for 
a month, in 1580, purposely to be instructed 
in astrology, and other more occult sciences ; 
as also in physick, taking his degree of 
Doctor beyond seas : being sufficiently fur- 




R.Cooper sculp. 






PUBLISHED BY CHAKLES ScMtJRT BALDWYTCXnWCL". • 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 35 

nished and instructed with what he desired, 
he returned into England, towards the latter 
end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and 
flourished until that year of King James, 
wherein the Countess of Essex, the Earl of 
Somerset, and Sir Thomas Overbury's mat- 
ters were questioned. He lived in Lambeth, 
with a very good report of the neighbour- 
hood, especially of the poor, unto whom he 
was very charitable. He was a person that 
in horary questions (especially thefts) was 
very judicious and fortunate ; so also in sick- 
nesses, which indeed was his master-piece. 
In resolving questions about marriage he had 
good success : in other questions very mode- 
rate. He was a person of indefatigable pains. 
I have seen sometimes half one sheet of paper 
wrote of his judgment upon one question ; in 
writing whereof he used much tautology, as 
you may see yourself, (most excellent Es- 



36 LILLY'S HISTORY 

quire) if you read a great book of Dr. Flood's, 
which you have, who had all that book from 
the manuscripts of Forman ; for I have seen 
the same word for word in an English manu- 
script formerly belonging to Doctor Wil- 
loughby of Gloucestershire. Had Forman 
lived to have methodized his own papers, I 
doubt not but he would have advanced the 
Jatro-mathematical part thereof very com- 
pletely ; for he was very observant, and kept 
notes of the success of his judgments, as in 
many of his figures I have observed. I very 
well remember to have read, in one of his 
manuscripts, what followeth. 

' Being in bed one morning,' (says he) ' I 
was desirous to know whether I should ever 
be a Lord, Earl, or Knight, &c. whereupon 
I set a figure ; and thereupon my judgment :' 
by which he concluded, that within two years 
time he should be a Lord or great man : 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 37 

i But,' says he, ' before the two years were 
expired, the Doctors put me in Newgate, and 
nothing came.' Not long after, he was de- 
sirous to know the same things concerning 
his honour or greatship. Another figure was 
set, and that promised him to be a great Lord 
within one year. But he sets down, that in 
that year he had no preferment at all ; only 
' I became acquainted with a merchant's 
wife, by whom I got well.' There is another 

figure concerning one Sir — - Ayre his 

going into Turkey, whether it would be a 
good voyage or not : the Doctor repeats all 
his astrological reasons and musters them 
together, and then gave his judgment it would 
be a fortunate voyage. But under this figure 
he concludes, f this proved not so, for he was 
taken prisoner by pirates ere he arrived in 
Turkey, and lost all.' He set several ques- 
tions to know if he should attain the philo- 



38 LILLY'S HTSTORY 

sophers' stone, and the figures, according to 
his straining, did seem to signify as much ; 
and then he tuggs upon the aspects and con- 
figurations, and elected a fit time to begin 
his operation ; but, by and by, in conclusion, 
he adds, ' so the work went very forward ; 
but upon the n of 6 the setting-glass broke, 
and I lost all my pains :' he sets down five 
or six such judgments, but still complains 
all came to nothing, upon the malignant as- 
pects of h and <?. Although some of his as- 
trological judgments did fail, more particu- 
larly those concerning himself, he being no 
way capable of such preferment as he ambi- 
tiously desired ; yet I shall repeat some other 
of his judgments, which did not fail, being 
performed by conference with spirits. My 
mistress went once unto him, to know when 
her husband, then in Cumberland, would 
return, he having promised to be at home 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 39 

near the time of the question; after some 
consideration, he told her to this effect: 
f Margery,' for so her name was, ' thy hus- 
band will not be at home these eighteen 
days; his kindred have vexed him, and he 
is come away from them in much anger : he 
is now in Carlisle, and hath but three-pence 
in his purse.' And when he came home he 
confessed all to be true, and that upon leav- 
ing his kindred he had but three-pence in 
his purse. I shall relate one story more, and 
then his death. 

One Coleman, clerk to Sir Thomas Beau- 
mont of Leicestershire, having had some libe- 
ral favours both from his lady and her daugh- 
ters, bragged of it, &c. The Knight brought 
him into the star-chamber, had his servant 
sentenced to be pilloried, whipped, and af- 
terwards, during life, to be imprisoned. The 
sentence was executed in London, and was 



40 LILLY'S HISTORY 

to be in Leicestershire: two keepers were 
to convey Coleman from the Fleet to Leices- 
ter. My mistress taking consideration of 
Coleman, and the miseries he was to suffer, 
went presently to Forman, acquainted him 
therewith; who, after consideration, swore 
Coleman had lain both with mother and 
daughters; and besides said, that the old 
Lady being afflicted with fits of the mother, 
called him into her chamber to hold down 
the fits with his hands ; and that he holding 
his hands about the breast, she cried ' Lower, 
lower,' and put his hands below her belly ; 

and thefr He also told my mistress in 

what posture he lay with the young ladies, 
&c. and said, 'they intend in Leicester to 
whip him to death; but I assure thee, Mar- 
gery, he shall never come there; yet they 
set forward to-morrow,' says he ; and so his 
two keepers did, Coleman's legs being locked 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 41 

with an iron chain under the horse's belly. 
In this nature they travelled the first and 
second day ; on the third day the two keep- 
ers, seeing their prisoner's civility the two 
preceding days, did not lock his chain under 
the horse's belly as formerly, but locked it 
only to one side. In this posture they rode 
some miles beyond Northampton, when on 
a sudden, one of the keepers had a necessity 
to untruss, and so the other and Coleman 
stood still; by and by the other keeper 
desired Coleman to hold his horse, for he 
had occasion also: Coleman immediately 
took one of their swords, and ran through 
two of the horses, killing them stark dead; 
gets upon the other, with one of their swords ; 
'Farewell, gentlemen,' quoth he, 'tell my 
master I have no mind to be whipped in Lei- 
cestershire,' and so went his way. The two 
keepers in all haste went to a gentleman's 



42 LILLY'S HISTORY 

house near at hand, complaining of their 
misfortune, and desired of him to pursue 
their prisoner, which he with much civility- 
granted ; but ere the horses could be got 
ready, the mistress of the house came down, 
and enquiring what the matter was, went to 
the stable, and commanded the horses to be 
unsaddled, with this sharp speech — ' Let the 
Lady Beaumont and her daughters live ho- 
nestly, none of my horses shall go forth upon 
this occasion.' 

I could relate many such stories of his per- 
formances ; as also what he wrote in a book 
left behind him, viz. 'This I made the devil 
write with his own hand in Lambeth Fields 
1596, in June or July, as I now remember.' 
He professed to his wife there would be much 
trouble about Carr and the Countess of Es- 
sex, who frequently resorted unto him, and 
from whose company he would sometimes 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 43 

lock himself in his study a whole day. Now 
we come to his death, which happened as 
follows : the Sunday night before he died, 
his wife and he being at supper in their gar- 
den-house, she being pleasant, told him, 
that she had been informed he could re- 
solve, whether man or wife should die first ; 
' Whether shall I ' (quoth she) ' bury you or 
no?' '?■ Oh Trunco,' for so he called her, 'thou 
wilt bury me, but thou wilt much repent it.' 
'Yea, but how long first?' 'I shall die,' said 
he, 'ere Thursday night.' Monday came, 
all was well. Tuesday came, he not sick. 
Wednesday came, and still he was well; 
with which his impertinent wife did much 
twit him in his teeth. Thursday came, and 
dinner was ended, he very well : he went 
down to the water-side, and took a pair of 
oars to go to some buildings he was in hand 
with in Puddle-dock. Being in the middle 



44 LILLY'S HISTORY 

of the Thames, he presently fell down, only- 
saying, 'An impost, an impost,' and so died. 
A most sad storm of wind immediately fol- 
lowing. He died worth one thousand two 
hundred pounds, and left only one son cal- 
led Clement. All his rarities, secret manu- 
scripts, of what quality soever, Dr. Napper 
of Lindford in Buckinghamshire had, who 
had been a long time his scholar; and of 
whom Forman was used to say he would 
be a dunce: yet in continuance of time he 
proved a singular astrologer and physician. 
Sir Richard now living, I believe, has all 
those rarities in possession, which were 
Forman's, being kinsman and heir unto Dr. 
Napper. [His son Thomas Napper, Esq. ; 
most generously gave most of these manu- 
scripts to Elias Ashmole, Esq. ;] I hope you 
will pardon this digression. 

After my mistress was dead, I lived most 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 45 

comfortably, my master having a great af- 
fection for me. 

The year 1625 now comes on, and the 
plague exceeding violent, I will relate what 
I observed the spring /before it broke forth. 
Against our corner house every night there 
would come down, about five or six of the 
clock, sometime one hundred or more boys, 
some playing, others as if in serious dis- 
course, and just as it grew dark would all 
be gone home ; many succeeding years there 
was no such, or any concourse, usually no 
more than four or five in a company : In the 
spring of 1625, the boys and youths of se- 
veral parishes in like number appeared again, 
which I beholding, called Thomas Sanders, 
my landlord, and told him, that the youth 
and young boys of several parishes did in 
that nature assemble and play, in the be- 
ning of the year 1625. ' God bless us,' quoth 



46 * LILLY'S HISTORY 

I, 'from a plague this year;' but then there 
succeeded one, and the greatest that ever 
was in London. In 1625, the visitation 
encreasing, and my master having a great 
charge of money and plate, some of his own, 
some other men's, left me and a fellow- ser- 
vant to keep the house, and himself in June 
went into Leicestershire. He was in that year 
feoffee collector for twelve poor alms-people 
living in Clement - Dane's Church - Yard ; 
whose pensions I in his absence paid weekly, 
to his and the parish's great satisfaction. My 
master was no sooner gone down, but I 
bought a bass-viol, and got a master to in- 
struct me ; the intervals of time I spent in 
bowling in Lincoln's -Inn -Fields, with Wat 
the cobler, Dick the blacksmith, and such 
like companions : We have sometimes been 
at our work at six in the morning, and so 
continued till three or four in the afternoon, 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 47 

many times without bread or drink all that 
while.. Sometimes I went to church and 
heard funeral sermons, of which there was 
then great plenty. At other times I went 
early to St. Antholine's in London, where 
there was every morning a sermon. The 
most able people of the whole city and sub- 
urbs were out of town; if any remained, it 
were such as were engaged by parish-offi- 
cers to remain ; no habit of a gentleman or 
woman continued; the woeful calamity of 
that year was grievous, people dying in the 
open fields and in open streets. At last, in 
August, the bills of mortality so encreased, 
that very few people had thoughts of sur- 
viving the contagion: the Sunday before 
the great bill came forth, which was of five 
thousand and odd hundreds, there was ap- 
pointed a sacrament at Clement Dane's; 
during the destributing whereof I do very 



48 LILLY'S HISTORY 

well remember we sang thirteen parts of the 
one hundred and nineteenth Psalm. One 
Jacob, our minister (for we had three that 
day, the communion was so great) fell sick 
as he was giving the sacrament, went home, 
and was buried of the plague the Thursday 
following. Mr. James, another of the mi- 
nisters, fell sick ere he had quite finished, 
had the plague, and was thirteen weeks ere 
he recovered. Mr. Whitacre, the last of the 
three, escaped not only then, but all the 
contagion following, without any sickness at 
all ; though he officiated at every funeral, 
and buried all manner of people, whether 
they died of the plague or not. He was 
given to drink, seldom could preach more 
than one quarter of an hour at a time, &c. 
In November my master came home. My 
fellow - servant's and my diet came weekly 
to six shillings and sixpence, sometimes 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 49 

to seven shillings, so cheap was diet at 
that time. 

In February of that year, my master mar- 
ried again (one who after his death became 
my wife.) In the same year he settled upon 
me, during my life, twenty pounds per an- 
num, which I have enjoyed ever since, even 
to the writing hereof. 

May 22, 1627, my master died at the 
corner house in the Strand, where I also 
lived so long. He died intestate ; my mis- 
tress relinquishing the administration, it 
came to his elder brother, who assigned the 
estate over to me for payment of my master's 
debts ; which being paid, I faithfully return- 
ed the remaining part unto his administrator; 
nor had one penny of the estate more than 
twenty pounds per annum, which was al- 
lowed me by contract, to undertake the 
payment of my master's debts. 

E 



50 LILLY'S HISTORY 



OF MY MARRIAGE THE FIRST TIME. 

My mistress, who had been twice married 
to old men, was now resolved to be couzened 
no more ; she was of a brown ruddy com- 
plexion, corpulent, of but mean stature, 
plain, no education, yet a very provident 
person, and of good condition: she had 
many suitors, old men, whom she declined ; 
some gentlemen of decayed fortunes, whom 
she liked not, for she was covetous and 
sparing : by my fellow-servant she was ob- 
served frequently to say, she cared not if 
she married a man that would love her, so 
that he had never a penny ; and would or- 
dinarily talk of me when she was in bed : 
this servant gave me encouragement to give 
the onset: I was much perplexed hereat, 
for should I attempt her, and be slighted, 



OF HIS LIFE AND TLMES. 51 

she would never care for me afterwards ; but 
again, I considered that if I should attempt 
and fail, she would never speak of it; or 
would any believe I durst be so audacious 
as to propound such a question, the dispro- 
portion of years and fortune being so great 
betwixt us: however, all her talk was of 
husbands, and in my presence saying one 
day after dinner, she respected not wealth, 
but desired an honest man ; I made answer, 
I thought I could fit her with such a hus- 
band; she asked me, where? I made no 
more ado, but presently saluted her, and 
told her myself was the man : she replied, I 
was too young ; I said nay ; what I had not 
in wealth, I would supply in love ; and 
saluted her frequently, which she accepted 
lovingly ; and next day at dinner made me 
sit down at dinner with my hat on my head, 
and said, she intended to make me her hus- 



52 LILLY'S HISTORY 

band ; for which I gave her many salutes, 
&c. 

I was very careful to keep all things secret, 
for I well knew, if she should take counsel 
of any friend, my hopes would be frustrated, 
therefore I suddenly procured her consent to 
marry, unto which she assented ; so that 
upon the eighth day of September, 1627, at 
St. George's church in Southwark, I was 
married unto her, and for two whole years 
we kept it secret. When it was divulged, 
and some people blamed her for it, she con- 
stantly replied, that she had no kindred ; if 
I proved kind, and a good husband, she 
would make me a man ; if I proved other- 
wise, she only undid herself. In the third 
and fourth years after our marriage, we had 
strong suits of law with her first husband's 
kindred, but overthrew them in the end. 
During all the time of her life, which was 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 53 

until October, 1633, we lived very lovingly, 
I frequenting no company at all ; my exer- 
cises were sometimes angling, in which I 
ever delighted : my companions, two aged 
men. I then frequented lectures, two or 
three in a week ; I heard Mr. Sute in Lom- 
bard-Street, Mr. Gouge of Black-Fryars, 
Dr. Micklethwait of the Temple, Dr. Olds- 
worth, with others, the most learned men of 
these times, and leaned in judgment to 
Puritanism. In October, 1627, I was made 
free of the S alters' company in London. 

HOW I CAME TO STUDY ASTROLOGY. 

It happened on one Sunday, 1632, as my- 
self and a Justice of Peace's clerk were, be- 
fore service, discoursing of many things, he 
chanced to say, that such a person was a 
great scholar, nay, so learned, that he could 



54 LILLY'S HISTORY 

make an Almanack, which to me then was 
strange : one speech begot another, till, at 
last, he said, he could bring me acquainted 
with one Evans in Gunpowder-Alley, who 
had formerly lived in Staffordshire, that was 
an excellent wise man, and studied the Black 
Art. The same week after we went to see 
Mr. Evans. When we came to his house, 
he, having been drunk the night before, was 
upon his bed, if it be lawful to call that a 
bed whereon he then lay ; he roused up him- 
self, and, after some compliments, he was 
content to instruct me in astrology ; I at- 
tended his best opportunities for seven or 
eight weeks, in which time I could set a 
figure perfectly : books he had not any, ex- 
cept Haly de judiciis Astrorum, and Orriga- 
nass Ephemerides ; so that as often as I en- 
tered his house, I thought I was in the wil- 
derness. Now something of the man : he 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 55 

was by birth a Welshman, a Master of Arts, 
and in sacred orders ; he had formerly had a 
cure of souls in Staffordshire, but now was 
come to try his fortunes at London, being in 
a manner enforced to fly for some offences 
very scandalous, committed by him in these 
parts, where he had lately lived ; for he gave 
judgment upon things lost, the only shame 
of astrology : he was the most saturnine per- 
son my eyes ever beheld, either before I 
practised or since ; of a middle stature, 
broad forehead, beetle-browed, thick shoul- 
ders, flat nosed, full lips, down-looked, black 
curling stiff hair, splay-footed ; to give him 
his right, he had the most piercing judgment 
naturally upon a figure of theft, and many 
other questions, that I ever met withal ; yet 
for money he would willingly give contrary 
judgments, was much addicted to debauch- 
ery, and then very abusive and quarrel- 



56 LILLY'S HISTORY 

some, seldom without a black eye, or one 
mischief or other: this is the same Evans 
who made so many antimonial cups, upon 
the sale whereof he principally subsisted ; 
he understood Latin very well, the Greek 
tongue not at all : he had some arts above, 
and beyond astrology, for he was well versed 
in the nature of spirits, and had many times 
used the circular way of invocating, as in 
the time of our familiarity he told me. Two 
of his actions I will relate, as to me deli- 
vered. There was in Staffordshire a young 
gentlewoman that had, for her preferment, 
married an aged rich person, who was de- 
sirous to purchase some lands for his wife's 
maintenance ; but this young gentlewoman, 
his wife, was desired to buy the land in the 
name of a gentleman, her very dear friend, 
but for her use : after the aged man was 
dead, the widow could by no means procure 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 57 

the deed of purchase from her friend ; where- 
upon she applies herself to Evans, who, for 
a sum of money, promises to have her deed 
safely delivered into her own hands; the 
sum was forty pounds. Evans applies him- 
self to the invocation of the angel Salmon, of 
the nature of Mars, reads his Litany in the 
Common- Prayer -Book every day, at select 
hours, wears his surplice, lives orderly all 
that time ; at the fortnight's end Salmon ap- 
peared, and having received his commands 
what to do, in a small time returns with 
the very deed desired, lays it down gently 
upon a table where a white cloth was spread, 
and then, being dismissed, vanished. The 
deed was, by the gentleman who formerly 
kept it, placed among many other of his evi- 
dences in a large wooden chest, and in a 
chamber at one end of the house ; but upon 
Salmon's removing and bringing away the 



58 LILLY'S HISTORY 

deed, all that bay of building was quite blown 
down, and all his own proper evidences torn 
all to pieces. The second story followeth. 

Some time before I became acquainted 
with him, he then living in the Minories, was 
desired by the Lord Bothwell and Sir Kenelm 
Digby to show them a spirit. He promised 
so to do : the time came, and they were all 
in the body of the circle, when lo, upon a 
sudden, after some time of invocation, Evans 
was taken from out the room, and carried in- 
to the field near Battersea Causeway, close 
to the Thames. Next morning a countryman 
going by to his labour, and espying a man 
in black cloaths, came unto him and awaked 
him, and asked him how he came there? 
Evans by this understood his condition, en- 
quired where he was, how far from London, 
and in what parish he was ; which when he 
understood, he told the labourer he had been 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 59 

late at Battersea the night before, and by 
chance was left there by his friends. Sir Ke- 
nelm Digby and the Lord Bothwell went 
home without any harm, and came next day to 
hear what was become of him ; just as they, 
in the afternoon, came into the house, a mes- 
senger came from Evans to his wife, to come 
to him at Battersea. I enquired upon what 
account the spirit carried him away: who 
said, he had not, at the time of invocation, 
made any suffumigation, at which the spirits 
were vexed. It happened, that after I dis- 
cerned what astrology was, I went weekly 
into Little Britain, and bought many books 
of astrology, not acquainting Evans there- 
with. Mr. A. Bedwell, Minister of Totten- 
ham-High- Cross near London, who had been 
many years chaplain to Sir Henry Wotton, 
whilst he was Ambassador at Venice, and 
assisted Pietro Soave Polano, in composing 



60 LILLY'S HISTORY. 

and writing the Council of Trent, was lately- 
dead; and his library being sold into Little 
Britain, I bought amongst them my choicest 
books of astrology. The occasion of our 
falling out was thus : a woman demanded the 
resolution of a question, which when he had 
done, she went her way ; I standing by all 
the while, and observing the figure, asked 
him why he gave the judgment he did, since 
the signification shewed quite the contrary, 
and gave him my reasons ; which when he 
had pondered, he called me boy, and must he 
be contradicted by such a novice ! But when 
his heat was over, he said, had he not so 
judged to please the woman, she would have 
given him nothing, and he had a wife and fa- 
mily to provide for ; upon this we never came 
together after. Being now very meanly in- 
troduced, I applied myself to study those 
books I had obtained, many times twelve, or 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 61 

fifteen, or eighteen hours day and night ; I 
was curious to discover, whether there was 
any verity in the art or not. Astrology in 
this time, viz. in 1633, was very rare in Lon- 
don, few professing it that understood any 
thing thereof. Let it not repent you (O noble 
Esquire) if now I make a short digression of 
such persons as then professed astrology, that 
posterity may understand in what condition 
I found it, and in whose hands that little that 
remained was lodged. 

There lived then in Houndsditch one Alex- 
ander Hart, who had been a soldier former- 
ly, a comely old man, of good aspect; he 
professed questionary astrology, and a little 
of physick; his greatest skill was to elect 
young gentlemen fit times to play at dice, 
that they might win or get money. I went 
unto him for resolutions for three questions 
at several times, and he erred in every one. 



62 LILLY'S HISTORY 

To speak soberly of him, he was but a cheat, 
as appeared suddenly after ; for a rustical fel- 
low of the city, desirous of knowledge, con- 
tracted with Hart to assist for a conference 
with a spirit, and paid him twenty pounds of 
thirty pounds the contract. At last, after 
many delays, and no spirit appearing, or mo- 
ney returned, the young man indicts him for 
a cheat at the Old Bailey in London ; the 
Jury found the bill, and at the hearing of the 
cause this jest happened : some of the bench 
enquired what Hart did ? ' He sat like an Al- 
derman in his gown,' quoth the fellow; at 
which the court fell into a great laughter, 
most of the court being Aldermen. He was 
to have been set upon the pillory for this 
cheat; but John Taylour, the Water Poet, 
being his great friend, got the Lord Chief Jus- 
tice Richardson to bail him, ere he stood 
upon the pillory, and so Hart fled presently 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 63 

into Holland, where he ended his days. It 
was my fortune, upon the sale of his books 
in 1634, to buy ArgolVs Primum Mobile for 
fourteen shillings, which I only wanted. 

In Lambeth Marsh at the same time lived 
one Captain Bubb, who resolved horary 
questions astrologically ; a proper handsome 
man, well spoken, but withal covetous, and 
of no honesty, as will appear by this story, 
for which he stood upon the pillory. A cer- 
tain butcher was robbed, going to a fair, of 
forty pounds ; he goes to Bubb, who for ten 
pounds in hand paid, would help him to the 
thief; appoints the butcher such a night pre- 
cisely, to watch at such a place, and the thief 
should come thither ; commanded him by any 
means to stop him ; the butcher attends ac- 
cording to direction. About twelve in the 
night there comes one riding very fiercely 
upon a full gallop, whom the butcher knocks 



64 LILLY'S HISTORY 

down, and seized both upon man and horse : 
the butcher brings the man and horse to the 
next town, but then the person whom the 
butcher attacked was John the servant of Dr. 
Bubb; for which the Captain was indicted 
and suffered upon the pillory, and afterwards 
ended his days in great disgrace. 

There was also one Jeffry Neve, at this 
time a student in physic and astrology ; he 
had formerly been a merchant in Yarmouth, 
and Mayor of the town, but failing in estate, 
went into the Low- Countries, and at Fra- 
necker took the degree of Doctor in Phy- 
sick ; he had some little smattering in astro- 
logy; could resolve a question of theft, or 
love-question, something of sickness ; a very 
grave person, laborious and honest, of tall 
stature and comely feature ; he died of late 
years, almost in the very street near Tower- 
Hill : he had a design of printing two hun- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 65 

dred verified questions, and desired my ap- 
probation ere they went to press ; that I first 
would see them, and then give testimony. 
When I had perused the first forty, I cor- 
rected thirty of them, would read over no 
more : I showed him how erroneous they 
were, desired his emendation of the rest, 
which he performed not. These were after- 
wards, in R. Saunders's custody, bought by 
him either of his son or of a stationer.* 

There was then William Poole, a nibbler at 
astrology, sometimes a gardener, an appa- 
ritor, a drawer of linen ; as quoifs, handker- 
chiefs ; a plaisterer and a bricklayer ; he 
would brag many times he had been of seven- 
teen professions ; was very good company 
for drolling, as you yourself very well re- 

* But first offered to be sold to me for twenty shillings. 
When Mr. Saunders died I bought them of his son for less. 

E. A . 

F 



66 LILLY'S HISTORY 

member (most honoured Sir);* he pretended 
to poetry; and that posterity may have a 
taste of it, you shall have here inserted two 
verses of his own making ; the occasion of 
making • them was thus. One Sir Thomas 
Jay, a Justice of the Peace in Rosemary- 
Lane, issued out his warrant for the appre- 
hension of Poole, upon a pretended sugges- 
tion, that he was in company with some lewd 
people in a tavern, where a silver cup was 
lost, Anglice stolen. Poole, hearing of the 
warrant, packs up his little trunk of books, 
being all his library, and runs to Westmin- 
ster ; but hearing some months after that the 
Justice was dead and buried, he came and 
enquired where the grave was ; and after the 
discharge of his belly upon the grave, left 

* December 17, this William Poole was married to 
Alice How, at St. George's Church in Southwark. Mr. 
Lilly gave her to him. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 67 

these two verses upon it, which he swore he 
made himself. 

Here lieth buried Sir Thomas Jay, Knight, 
Who being dead, I upon his grave did shite. 

He died about 1651, or 1652, at St. Mary 
Overy's in Southwark ; and this was part of 
his last will. 

■ Item ; I give to Dr. Ardee all my books, 
and one manuscript of my own, worth one 
hundred of Lilly's Introduction.' 

'Item; If Dr. Ardee give my wife any 
thing that is mine, I wish the devil may 
fetch him body and soul.' The Doctor, ter- 
rified with this curse, gave me all the books 
and his goods which I presently gave to his 
widow. — Interdum seriajocis. 

Now also lived this Dr. Ardee, but his true 
name was Richard Delahay, formerly an 
Attorney ; he studied astrology and physick, 
being in necessity, and forced from Derby- 



68 LILLY'S HISTORY 

shire, where he had lived, by the old Coun- 
tess of Shrewsbury; he was of moderate 
judgment, both in astrology and physick. 
He had formerly been well acquainted with 
Charles Sledd,* an apothecary, who used the 
crystal, and had a very perfect sight. This 
Dr. Ardee hath many times affirmed unto 
me, (esto fides) that an angel, one time, ap- 
peared unto him, and offered him a lease of 
his life for one thousand years ; he died about 
the age of fourscore years ; left his widow, 
who married into Kent,| worth two or three 
thousand pounds, and William Poole's estate 
came to four or five pounds. 

In the years 1632 and 1633, John Booker 
became famous for a prediction of his upon a 

* Of this Charles Sledd, there is mention made in Dr. 
Dee's book of his discourse with spirits, set forth by Dr. 
Casaubon. 

t To one Moreland. 



4 Si 

■jsk 




/A. 







rilBLISHEDBYCHAHLES ffiHSffiYB^JWm^L^&OTE STKBET . 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 69 

solar eclipse in the 19th degree of Aries 1663, 
taken out of Leovitius de magnis conjunctioni- 
bus, viz. Oh Reges et Principes 8$c. Both the 
King of Bohemia, and Gustavus King of 
Sweden, dying during the effects of that 
eclipse. 

John Booker was born in Manchester, of 
good parentage, in the year 1601 ; was in his 
youth well instructed in the Latin tongue, 
which he understood very well. He seemed 
from his infancy to be designed for astrology ; 
for from the time he had any understanding, 
he would be always poring on, and studying 
almanacks. He came to London at fitting 
years, and served an apprenticeship to an 
haberdasher in Laurence-Lane, London ; but 
either wanting stock to setup, or disliking the 
calling, he left his trade, and taught to write 
at Hadley in Middlesex several scholars in 
that school: he wrote singularly well both 



70 LILLY'S HISTORY 

Secretary and Roman. In process of time 
he served Sir Christopher Clethero, Knight. 
Alderman of London, as his clerk, being a 
city Justice of Peace : he also was clerk to 
Sir HughHammersley, Alderman of London, 
both which he served with great credit and 
estimation ; and by that means became not 
only well known, but as well respected of 
the most eminent citizens of London, even to 
his dying day. 

He was an excellent proficient in astro- 
logy, whose excellent verses upon the twelve 
months, framed according to the configura- 
tions of each month, being blessed with suc- 
cess according to his predictions, procured 
him much reputation all over England : he 
was a very honest man, abhorred any deceit 
in the art he studied ; had a curious fancy in 
judging of thefts, and as successful in resolv- 
ing love-questions : he was no mean pro- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 71 

ficient in astronomy; he understood much 
of physick ; was a great admirer of the anti- 
monial cup ; not unlearned in chymistry, 
which he loved well, but did not practise. 
He was inclined to a diabetes ; and in the 
last three years of his life was afflicted with 
a dysentery, which at last consumed him to 
nothing: he died of good fame in 1667. 
Since his decease I have seen one nativity of 
his performance exactly directed, and judged 
with as much learning as from astrology can 
be expected. 

His library of books came short of the 
world's approbation, and were by his widow 
sold to Elias Ashmole, Esq. who most gene- 
rously gave her * far more money than they 
were worth ; but out of his respects unto the 
deceased and his memory, he most willingly 

* They cost me one hundred and forty pounds. . 



72 LILLY'S HISTORY 

paid her the money. He left behind him 
two sons and two daughters. He left in 
writing very little but his annual prognosti- 
cations. He began first to write about the 
year 1630; he wrote Bellum Hibernicale, in 
the time of the long parliament, a very sober 
and judicious book : the epistle thereunto I 
gave him. He wrote lately a small treatise 
of Easter-Day, a very learned thing, wherein 
he shewed much learning and reading. To 
say no more of him, he lived an honest man, 
his fame not questioned at his death. 

In this year 1633, I became acquainted 
with Nicholas Fiske, licentiate in physick, 
who was born in Suffolk, near Framingham* 
Castle, of very good parentage, who educa- 
ted him at country schools, until he was fit 
for the university ; but he went not to the 

* There is no such place in Suffolk, it being mistaken 
for Framlingham in that county. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 73 

academy, studying at home both astrology 
and physick, which he afterwards practised 
in Colchester ; and there was well acquaint- 
ed with Dr. Gilbert, who wrote De Magnete. 
He came afterwards unto London, and exer- 
cised his faculty in several places thereof. 
(For in his youth he would never stay long 
in one house.) In 1633 he was sent for out 
of Suffolk by Dr. Winston of Gresham Col- 
lege, to instruct the Lord Treasurer Weston's 
son in arithmetick, astronomy upon the 
globes, and their uses. He was a person 
very studious, laborious, of good apprehen- 
sion, and had by his own industry obtained 
both in astrology, physick, arithmetick, as- 
tronomy, geometry and algebra, singular 
judgment: he would in astrology resolve 
horary questions very soundly ; but was ever 
diffident of his own abilities : he was ex- 
quisitely skilful in the art of directions upon 



74 LILLY'S HISTORY 

nativities, and had a good genius in perform- 
ing judgment thereupon, but very unhappy 
he was, that he had no genius in teaching his 
scholars, for he never perfected any: his 
own son Matthew hath often told me, that 
where his father did teach any scholars in 
his time, they would principally learn of 
him; he had Scorpio ascending, and was 
secretly envious to those he thought had 
more parts than himself; however, I must be 
ingenuous, and do affirm, that by frequent 
conversation with him, I came to know which 
were the best authors, and much to enlarge 
my judgment, especially in the art of direc- 
tions : he visited me most days once after I 
became acquainted with him, and would 
communicate his most doubtful questions un- 
to me, and accept of my judgment therein 
rather than his own: he singularly well 
judged and directed Sir Robert Holborn's 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 75 

nativity, but desired me to adjudge the first 
house, seventh and tenth thereof, which I 
did, and which nativity (since Sir Robert 
gave it me) came to your hands, and remains 
in your library ; [oh learned Esquire !] he 
died about the seventy-eighth year of his 
age, poor. 

In this year also William Bredon, parson 
or vicar of Thornton in Buckinghamshire, 
was living, a profound divine, but absolutely 
the most polite person for nativities in that 
age, strictly adhering to Ptolemy, which he 
well understood ; he had a hand in compo- 
sing Sir Christopher Heydon's Defence of Ju- 
dicial Astrology, being that time his chaplain ; 
he was so given over to tobacco and drink, 
that when he had no tobacco, he would cut 
the bell-ropes and smoke them. 

I come now to continue the story of my 
own life, but thought it not inconvenient to 



76 LILLY'S HISTORY 

commit unto memory something concerning 
those persons who practised when first I be- 
came a student in astrology ; I have wrote 
nothing concerning any of them, which I 
myself do not either know, or believe to be 
true. 

In October 1633 my first wife died, and 
left me whatever was hers : it was consider- 
able, very near to the value of one thousand 
pounds. 

One whole year and more I continued a 
widower, and followed my studies very 
hard ; during which time a scholar pawned 
unto me, for forty shillings, Ars Notoria* 
a large volume wrote in parchment, with the 
names of those angels, and their pictures, 
which are thought and believed by wise 
men, to teach and instruct in all the several 

* Among Dr. Napier's MSS. I had an Ars Notoria, 
written by S. Forman in large vellum. 



U 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 77 

liberal sciences, and is attained by observing 
elected times, and those prayers appropri- 
ated unto the several angels. 

I do ingenuously acknowledge, I used 
those prayers according to the form and 
direction prescribed for some weeks, using 
the word astrologia for astronomia ; but of this 
no more : that Ars Notoria, inserted in the 
latter end of Cornelius Agrippa signifieth no- 
thing ; many of the prayers being not the 
same, nor is the direction to these prayers 
any thing considerable. 

In the year 1634, I taught Sir George 
Peckham, Knight, astrology, that part which 
concerns sickness, wherein he so profited, 
that in two or three months he would give a 
very true discovery of any disease, only by 
his figures. He practised in Nottingham, but 
unfortunately died in 1635, at St. Winifred's 
Well in Wales ; in which well he continued 



78 LILLY'S HISTORY 

so long mumbling his Pater Nosters and 
Sancta Winifrida ora pro me, that the cold 
struck into his body; and, after his coming 
forth of that well, never spoke more. 

In this year 1634, I purchased the moiety 
of thirteen houses in the Strand for five hun- 
dred and thirty pounds. 

In November, the 18th day, I was again 
the second time married, and had five hun- 
dred pounds portion with that wife ; she was 
of the nature of Mars. 

Two accidents happened to me in that 
year something memorable. 

Davy Ramsey, his Majesty's clock-maker, 
had been informed, that there was a great 
quantity of treasure buried in the cloyster of 
Westminster- Abbey \ he acquaints Dean 
Williams therewith, who was also then Bi- 
shop of Lincoln ; the Dean gave him liberty 
to search after it, with this proviso, that if 



-. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 79 

any was discovered, his church should have a 
share of it. Davy Ramsey finds out one 
John Scott,* who pretended the use of the 
Mosaical rods, to assist him herein : I was 
desired to join with him, unto which I con- 
sented. One winter's night, Davy Ramsey, 
with several gentlemen, myself, and Scott, 
entered the cloysters ; we played the hazel- 
rod round about the cloyster ; upon the west- 
side of the cloysters the rods turned one aver 
another, an argument that the treasure was 
there. The labourers digged at least six foot 
deep, and then we met with a coffin ; but in 
regard it was not heavy, we did not open, 
which we afterwards much repented. From 
the cloysters we went into the Abbey church, 
where, upon a sudden, (there being no wind 
when we began) so fierce, so high, so bluster- 

* This Scott lived in Pudding-Lane, and had some 
time been a page (or such like) to the Lord Norris. 



80 LILLY'S HISTORY 

ing and loud a wind did rise, that we verily 
believed the west-end of the church would 
have fallen upon us; our rods would not 
move at all ; the candles and torches, all but 
one, were extinguished, or burned very 
dimly.* John Scott, my partner, was amazed, 
looked pale, knew not what to think or do, 
until I gave directions and command to dis- 
miss the daemons ; which when done, all was 
quiet again, and each man returned unto his 
lodging late, about twelve o'clock at night ; 
I could never since be induced to join with 
any in such-like actions. 

The true miscarriage of the business, was 
by reason of so many people being present 
at the operation; for there was about thirty, 
some laughing, others deriding us; so that 
if we had not dismissed the daemons, I be- 

* Davy Ramsey brought an half quartern sack to put 
the treasure in. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 81 

lieve most part of the Abbey church had been 
blown down ; secrecy and intelligent opera- 
tors, with a strong confidence and knowledge 
of what they are doing, are best for this 
work. 

In 1634, or 1635, a Lady living in Green- 
wich, who had tried all the known artists in 
London, but to no purpose, came weeping 
and lamenting her condition, which was this : 
she had permitted a young Lord to have the 
use of her body, till she was with child by 
him ; after which time he could not or would 
not endure her sight, but commanded his 
lacquies and servants to keep his doors fast 
shut, lest she should get into his chamber ; 
or if they chanced to see her near his lodging, 
to drive her away, which they several times 
had done. Her desire unto me was to 
assist her to see him, and then she should 
be content ; whereupon I ordered, such 



82 LILLY'S HISTORY 

a day, such an hour of that day, to try 
her fortune once more. She obeyed; 
and when she came to the King's Bench, 
where the Lord there was imprisoned, the 
outward door stood wide open : none speak- 
ing a word unto her, she went up stairs, no 
body molesting her; she found the Lord's 
chamber door wide open : he in bed, not a 
servant to be heard or seen, so she was 
pleased. Three days after she came to ac- 
quaint me with her success, and then drew 
out of her pocket a paper full of ratsbane, 
which, had she not had admission unto him 
that day I appointed, she would in a pint of 
white wine have drank at the stair's foot 
where the Lord lodged. The like misfortune 
befell her after that ; when the Lord was out 
of prison : then I ordered her such a day to 
go and see a play at Salisbury-Court ; which 
she did, and within one quarter of an hour 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 83 

the Lord came into the same box wherein she 
was. But I grew weary of such employ- 
ments, and since have burned my books 
which instructed these curiosities : for after 
that I became melancholy, very much afflict- 
ed with the hypochondriack, growing lean 
and spare, and every day worse ; so that in 
the year 1635 my infirmity continuing, and 
my acquaintance increasing, I resolved to 
live in the country, and in March and April 
1636 removed my goods unto Hersham, 
where I now live ; and in May my person, 
where I continued until 1641, no notice be- 
ing taken who, or what I was. 

In the years 1637 and 1638, I had great 
lawsuits both in the Exchequer and Chancery, 
about a lease I had of the annual value of 
eighty pounds : I got the victory. 

In the year 1640 I instructed John Hum- 
phreys, master of that art, in the study of 



84 LILLY'S HISTORY 

astrology : upon this occasion, being at Lon- 
don, by accident in Fleet- Street, I met Dr. 
Percival Willoughby of Derby ; we were of 
old acquaintance, and he but by great chance 
lately come to town, we went to the Mitre - 
Tavern in Fleet- Street, where I sent for old 
Will Poole the astrologer, living then in 
Ram- Alley: being come to us, the Doctor 
produced a bill, set forth by a master of arts 
in Cambridge, intimating his abilities for re- 
solving of all manner of questions astrologi- 
cally. The bill was shewed, and I wonder- 
ing at it Poole made answer, he knew the 
man, and that he was a silly fool ; ' I, quoth 
he, ' can do more than he ; he sees me every 
day, he will be here by and by ;' and indeed 
he came into our room presently : Poole had, 
just as we came to him, set a figure, and then 
shewed it me, desiring my judgement; which 
I refused, but desired the master of arts to 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 85 

judge first ; he denied, so I gave mine, to the 
very great liking of Humphreys, who pre- 
sently enquired, if I would teach him, and 
for what ? I told him I was willing to teach, 
but would have one hundred pounds. I 
heard Poole, whilst I was judging the figure, 
whisper in Humphrey's ear, and swear I was 
the best in England. Staying three or four 
days in town, at last we contracted for forty 
pounds, for I could never be quiet from his 
solicitations ; he invited me to supper, and 
before I had shewed him any thing, paid me 
thirty-five pounds. As we were at supper a 
client came to speak with him, and so up 
into his closet he went with his client; I 
called him in before he set his figure, or re- 
solved the question, and instantly acquainted 
him how he should discover the moles or 
marks of his client: he set his figure, and 
presently discovers four moles the querent 



86 LILLY'S HISTORY 

had; and was so overjoyed therewith, that 
he came tumbling down the stairs, crying, 
* Four by G — , four by G — , I will not take 
one hundred pounds for this one rule.' In six 
weeks time, and tarrying with him three days 
in a week, he became a most judicious person. 
This Humphreys was a laborious person, 
vain-glorious, loquacious, fool-hardy, de- 
sirous of all secrets which he knew not, inso- 
much that he would have given me two hun- 
dred pounds to have instructed him in some 
curiosities he was persuaded I had knowledge 
of, but, Artis est celare artem, especially to 
those who live not in the fear of God, or can 
be masters of their own counsels : he was 
in person and condition such another as that 
monster of ingratitude my quondam taylor, 
John Gadbury. After my refusal of teaching 
him, what he was not capable of, we grew 
strange, though I afforded him many civilities 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 87 

whenever he required it ; for after the siege 
of Colchester he wrote a book against me, 
called Anti Merlinus-Anglicus, married a se- 
cond wife, his first living in Cambridgeshire, 
then practised physick by a contrary name, 
having intentions to practise in Ireland ; he 
went to Bristol, but there understanding the 
parliament's forces had reduced that king- 
dom, he came back to London, but durst not 
abide therein ; but running from his second 
wife, who also had another husband, he went 
to sea, with intention for Barbadoes, but died 
by the way in his voyage. I had never seen 
John Booker at that time ; and telling him 
one day I had a desire to see him, but first, 
ere I would speak with him, I would fit my- 
self with my old rules, and rub up my astro- 
logy ; for at that time [and this was 1640] I 
thought John Booker the greatest and most 
complete astrologer in the world. My scho- 



88 LILLY'S HISTORY 

lar Humphreys presently made answer, * Tu- 
tor, you need not pump for any of your for- 
mer knowledge, John Booker is no such 
pumper ; we met,' saith he, 'the other day, 
and I was too hard for him myself, upon 
judgment of three or four questions.' If all 
the transactions happening unto that my 
scholar were in one volume, they would 
transcend either Guzman, Don Quixote, La- 
zarillo de Tormes, or any other of the like na- 
ture I ever did see. 

Having now in part recovered my health, 
being weary of the country, and perceiving 
there was money to be got in London, and 
thinking myself to be as sufficiently enabled 
in astrology as any I could meet with, I made 
it my business to repair thither ; and so in 
September 1641 I did; where, in the years 
1642 and 1643, I had great leisure to better 
my former knowledge : I then read over all 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. $9 

my books of astrology, over and over;- had 
very little or no practice at all : and whereas 
formerly I could never endure to read Yalen- 
tlne Naibocts Commentary upon Alcabitius, 
now having seriously studied him, I found 
him to be the profoundest author I ever 
met with ; him I traversed over day and 
night, from whom I must acknowledge 
to have advanced my judgment and 
knowledge unto that height I soon after ar- 
rived at, or unto : a most rational author, 
and the sharpest expositor of Ptolemy that 
hath yet appeared. To exercise my genius, 
I began to collect notes, and thought of 
writing some little thing upon the 6 of h and 
% then approaching : I had not wrote above 
one sheet, and that very meanly, but James 
Lord Galloway came to see me ; and, by 
chance, casting his eyes upon that rude 
collection, he read it over, and so ap- 



90 LILLY'S HISTORY 

proved of it, yea, so encouraged me to 
proceed farther, that then, and after that 
time, I spent most of my time in composing 
thereof, and bringing it, in the end, into that 
method wherein it was printed 1644. I do 
seriously now profess, I had not the assist- 
ance of any person living, in the writing or 
composing thereof, Mr. Fiske sent me a 
small manuscript, which had been Sir Chris- 
topher Heydon's, who had wrote something 
of the conjunction of t? and % 9 1603 ; out of 
which, to bring my method in order, I tran- 
scribed, in the beginning, five or six lines, 
and not any more, though that graceless fel- 
low Gadbury wrote the contrary : but, Semel 
et semper nebulo et mendai\ I did formerly 
write one treatise, in the year 1639, upon the 
eclipse of the sun, in the eleventh degree of 
Gemini, May 22, 1639 : it consisted of six 
sheets of paper. But that manuscript I gave 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 91 

unto my most munificent patron and ever 
bountiful friend, William Pennington, of Mun- 
caster in Cumberland, Esq., a wise and ex- 
cellently learned person ; who, from the year 
1634, even till he died, continued unto me 
the most grateful person I ever was ac- 
quainted with. I became acquainted with 
him by means of Davy Ramsey. 

Oh ! most noble Esquire, let me now beg 
your pardon, if I digress for some small time, 
in commemorating his bounty unto me, and 
my requital of his friendship, by performing 
many things successfully for his advantage. 

In 1639 he was made captain, and served 
his Majesty in his then wars against the 
Scots ; during which time a farmer's daugh- 
ter being delivered of a bastard, and hearing, 
by report, that he was slain, fathered the 
child upon him. Shortly after he returned, 
most woefully vexed to be thus abused, when 



92 LILLY'S HISTORY 

absent. The woman was countenanced by- 
some gentlemen of Cumberland, in this her 
villany against him ; so that, notwithstand- 
ing he had warrants to attach her body, he 
could never discover her : but yet, hunting 
her from one place to another, her friends 
thought it most convenient to send her to 
London, where she might be in most safety. 
She came up to the city, and immediately I 
had notice thereof, and the care of that mat- 
ter was left unto me. I procured the Lord 
Chief Justice Bramston's warrant, and had it 
lying dormant by me. She had not been in 
the city above one fortnight, but that I, going 
casually to the clerk of the assizes' office for 
Cumberland, saw there an handsome woman ; 
and hearing of her speak the northern tone, I 
concluded she was the party I did so want. 
I rounded the clerk in his ear, and told him 
I would give him five shillings to hold the 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 93 

woman in chat till I came again, for I had a 
writing concerned her. I hasted for my 
warrant, and a constable, and returned into 
the office, seized her person before the clerk 
of the assizes, who was very angry with me : 
it was then sessions at Old-Bayley, and 
neither Judge nor Justice to be found. At 
night we carried her before the Recorder, 
Gardner. It being Saturday at night, she, 
having no bail, was sent to Bridewell, where 
she remained till Monday. On Monday 
morning, at the Old-Bayley, she produced 
bail; but I desiring of the Recorder some 
time to enquire after the bail, whether they 
were sufficient, returned presently, and told 
him one of the bail was a prisoner in Lud- 
gate, the other a very poor man. At which 
he was so vexed, that he sent her to Newgate, 
where she lay all that week, until she could 
please me with good sureties; which then 



94 LILLY'S HISTORY 

she did, and so was bound over to appear at 
the next assizes in Cumberland ; which she 
did, and was there sentenced to be whipped, 
and imprisoned one whole year. 

This action infinitely pleased Mr. Penning- 
ton, who thought I could do wonders ; and I 
was most thankfully requited for it. All the 
while of this scandalous business, do what 
he could, he could not discover what persons 
they were that supported her ; but the woman's 
father coming to town, I became acquainted 
with him, by the name of Mr. Sute, mer- 
chant ; invited him to a dinner ; got George 
Farmer with me ; when we so plied him with 
wine, he could neither see or feel. I paid 
the reckoning, twenty-two shillings. But 
next morning the poor man had never a 
writing or letter in his pocket. I sent them 
down to my friend, who thereby discovered 
the plots of several gentlemen in the business ; 




S.. Coop ex sctlL-d"? 






PUBLISHES 3T CHAKE3 S fcEEa£KrB^I3JWXN;NEWGAIE S TBEET. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 95 

after which, Mr. Sute returned to his old 
name again. 

Mr. Pennington was a true royalist, whom 
Charles the Second made one of his Com- 
missioners of Array for Cumberland. Having 
directions from me continually how matters 
did and would go betwixt the King and 
Parliament, he acted warily, and did but 
sign one only warrant of that nature, and 
then gave over. When the times of seques- 
trations came, one John Musgrave, the most 
bold and impudent fellow, and most active 
of all the north of England, and most mali- 
cious against my friend, had got this warrant 
under Mr. Pennington's hand into his custo- 
dy; which affrighted my friend, and so it 
might, for it was cause enough of sequestra- 
tion, and would have done it. Musgrave in- 
tending himself great matters out of his es- 
tate, I was made acquainted herewith. Mus- 



96 LILLY'S HISTORY 

grave being in London, by much ado, I got 
acquainted with him, pretending myself a 
bitter enemy against Pennington, whereat 
he very heartily rejoiced ; and so we ap- 
pointed one night to meet at the Five Bells, 
to compare notes; for I pretended much. 
We did meet, and he very suddenly produced 
upon the table all his papers, and withal, the 
warrant of array unto which my friend had 
set his hand ; which when I saw, ' I marry,' 
said I, ' this is his hand I will swear ; now 
have at all ; come, the other cup, this war- 
rant shall pay for all.' I observed where the 
warrant lay upon the table, and, after some 
time took occasion ignorantly to let the can- 
dle fall out, which whilst he went to light 
again at the fire, I made sure of the warrant, 
and put it into my boot ; he never missing it 
of eight or ten days ; about which time, I 
believe, it was above half way towards Cum- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 97 

berland, for I instantly sent it by the post, 
with this friendly caveat, ' Sin no more.' 
Musgrave durst not challenge me in those 
times, and so the business was ended very 
satisfactory to his friend, and no less to 
myself. 

He was, besides, extremely abused by one 
Isaac Antrobus, parson of Egremond, a most 
evil liver, bold, and very rich; at last he 
procured a minister of that country, in hope 
of the parsonage, to article against him in 
London, before the committee of plundered 
ministers. I was once more invited to solicit 
against Antrobus, which I did upon three or 
more articles. 

L That Antrobus baptized a cock, and 
called him Peter. 

II. He had knowledge of such a woman 
and of her daughter, viz, of both their bo- 

H 



98 LILLY'S HISTORY 

dies, in as large a manner as ever of his own 
wife. 

III. Being drunk, a woman took a cord 
and tied it about his privy members unto a 
manger in a stable. 

IV. Being a continual drunkard. 

V. He never preached, &c. 

Antrobus was now become a great cham- 
pion for the Parliament ; but, at the day of 
hearing, I had procured abundance of my 
friends to be there ; for the godly, as they 
termed themselves, sided with him ; the pre- 
sent Master of the Rolls was Chairman that 
day* Sir Harbottle Grimston. 

Who, hearing the foulness of the cause, 
was very much ashamed thereof. I remem- 
ber Antrobus, being there, pleaded he was 
in his natural condition when he acted so un- 
graciously. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 99 

' What condition were you in,' said the 
Chairman, ' when you lay with mother and 
daughter V 

* There is no proof of that,' saith he. 

< None but your own confession,' said the 
Chairman,, * nor could any tell so well.' 

' I am not given to drunkenness,' quoth 
he. ' He was so drunk within this fort- 
night,' quoth I, ' he reeled from one side of 
the street to the other ; here is the witness to 
prove it:' who, presently, before the com- 
mittee, being sworn, made it good, and 
named the place and street where he was 
drunk. So he was adjudged scandalous, 
and outed of his benefice, and our minister 
had the parsonage. 

You cannot imagine how much the rout- 
ing of this drunken parson pleased Mr. Pen- 
nington, who paid all charges munificently 
and thankfully. 



100 LILLY'S HISTORY 

But now follows the last and greatest kind- 
ness I ever did him. Notwithstanding the 
committee for sequestrations in Cumberland 
were his very good friends, yet the sub- 
sequestrators, of their own heads, and with- 
out order, and by strength of arms, secured 
his irons, his wood, and so much of his per- 
sonal estate as was valued at seven thousand 
pounds. Now had I complaint upon com- 
plaint : would I suffer my old friend to be 
thus abused ? it was in my power to free 
him from these villains. 

I hereupon advised what was best to do, 
and was counselled to get Mr. Speaker Len- 
thalFs letter to the sub-sequestrators, and 
command them to be obedient to the com- 
mittee of the county. 

Whereupon, I framed a letter myself, unto 
the sub-sequestrators directed, and with it, 
myself and Mr. Laurence Maydwell (whom 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 101 

yourself well knew) went to Mr. Speaker, 
unto whom we sufficiently related the stub- 
bornness of the officers of Cumberland ; their 
disobedience to the committee; and then 
shewed him the letter, which when he had 
read over, he most courteously signed, add- 
ing withal, that if they proceeded further in 
sequestring Mr. Pennington, he would com- 
mand a Serjeant at Arms to bring them up to 
answer their contempts : I immediately post- 
ed that letter to my friend, which when the 
absurd fellows received, they delivered him 
possession of his goods again ; and, for my 
pains, when tie came to London, gave me one 
hundred pounds; he died in 1652, of a vio- 
lent fever. I did carefully, in 1642 and 1643, 
take notice of every grand action which hap- 
pened betwixt King and Parliament, and did 
first then incline to believe, that as all sub- 
lunary affairs did depend upon superior 



102 LILLY'S HISTORY 

causes, so there was a possibility of discover- 
ing them by the configurations of the supe- 
rior bodies ; in which way making some es- 
says in those two years, I found encourage- 
ment to proceed further, which I did ; I pe- 
rused the writings of the ancients, but there- 
in they were silent, or gave no satisfaction ; 
at last, I framed unto myself that method, 
which then and since I follow, which, I hope, 
in time may be more perfected by a more 
penetrating person than myself. 

In 1643, I became familiarly known to Sir 
Bulstrode Whitlocke, a member of the House 
of Commons ; he being sick, his urine was 
brought unto me by Mrs. Lisle,* wife to John 

* She was afterwards beheaded at Winchester, for 
harbouring one Nelthrop, a rebel in the Duke of Mon- 
mouth's army 1685. She had made herself remarkable, 
by saying at the martyrdom of King Charles I, 1648, 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 103 

Lisle, afterwards one of the keepers of the 
Great Seal ; having set my figure, I returned 
answer, the sick for that time would recover, 
but by means of a surfeit would dangerously 
relapse within one month ; which he did, by 
eating of trouts at Mr. Sand's house, near 
Leatherhead in Surrey. Then I went daily 
to visit him, Dr. Prideau despairing of his 
life ; but I said there was no danger thereof, 
and that he would be sufficiently well in five 
or six weeks ; and so he was. 

In 1644, I published Merlinus Anglicus 
Junior about April. I had given one day the 
copy thereof unto the then Mr. Whitlocke, 
who by accident was reading thereof in the 
House of Commons : ere the Speaker took 

1 that her blood leaped within her to see the tyrant fall ;' 
for this, when she fell into the state trap, she neither did 
nor could expect favour from any of that martyr's family. 



104 LILLY'S HISTORY 

the chair, one looked upon it, and so did 
many, and got copies thereof; which when I 
heard, I applied myself to John Booker to 
license it, for then he was licenser of all ma- 
thematical books ; I had, to my knowledge, 
never seen him before ; he wondered at the 
book, made many impertinent obliterations, 
framed many objections, swore it was not 
possible to distinguish betwixt King and Par- 
liament ; at last licensed it according to his 
own fancy ; I delivered it unto the printer, 
who being an arch Presbyterian, had five of 
the ministry to inspect it, who could make 
nothing of it, but said it might be printed, 
for in that I meddled not with their Dagon. 
The first impression was sold in less than one 
week ; when I presented some to the mem- 
bers of Parliament, I complained of John 
Booker the licenser, who had defaced my 
book ; they gave me order forthwith to re- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 105 

print it as I would, and let them know if any 
durst resist me in the reprinting, or adding 
what I thought fit ; so the second time it 
came forth as I would have it. 

I must confess, I now found my scholar 
Humphreys's words to be true concerning 
John Booker, whom at that time I found but 
moderately versed in astrology; nor could 
he take the circles of position of the planets, 
until in that year I instructed him. After 
my Introduction in 1647 became publick, he 
amended beyond measure, by study partly, 
and partly upon emulation to keep up his 
fame and reputation; so that since 1647, 1 have 
seen some nativities by him very judiciously 
performed. When the printer presented him 
with an Introduction of mine, as soon as they 
were forth of the press ; ' I wish,' saith he, 
6 there was never another but this in England, 
conditionally I gave one hundred pounds for 



106 LILLY'S HISTORY 

this.' After that time we were very great 
friends to his dying day. 

In June, 1644, I published Supernatural 
Sight ; and, indeed, if I could have procured 
the dull stationer to have been at charges to 
have cut the icon or form of that prodigious 
apparition, as I had drawn it forth, it would 
have given great satisfaction ; however, the 
astrological judgment thereupon had its full 
event in every particular. 

That year also I published the White King's 
Prophecy, of which there were sold in three 
days eighteen hundred, so that it was oft re- 
printed : I then made no commentary upon 
it. 

In that year I printed the Prophetical Mer- 
lin, and had eight pounds for the copy. 

I had then no farther intention to trouble 
the press any more, but Sir Richard Napper 
having received one of Captain Wharton's 




B.. Cooper sexilp: 



/ 7 



Jf UELISHED BY <.\ . EWGATB STBEET. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 107 

Almanacks for 1645, under the name Naworth, 
he came unto me : ' Now, Lilly, you are 
met withal, see here what Naworth writes.' 
The words were, he called me ' an impudent 
senseless fellow, and by name William Lilly.' 

Before that time, I was more Cavalier than 
Roundhead, and so taken notice of; but after 
that I engaged body and soul in the cause of 
Parliament, but still with much affection to 
his Majesty's person and unto monarchy, 
which I ever loved and approved beyond 
any government whatsoever; and you will 
find in this story many passages of civility 
which I did, and endeavoured to do, with 
the hazard of my life, for his Majesty : but 
God had ordered all his affairs and counsels 
to have no successes ; as in the sequel will 
appear. 

To vindicate my reputation, and to cry 
quittance with Naworth, against whom I was 



108 LILLY'S HISTORY 

highly incensed, to work I went again for 
Anglicus, 1645 ; which as soon as finished I 
got to the press, thinking every day one 
month till it was publick : T therein made 
use of the King's nativity, and rinding that 
his ascendant was approaching to the qua- 
drature of Mars, about June, 1645, I gave 
this unlucky judgment ; ' If now we fight, a 
victory stealeth upon us ;' and so it did in 
June, 1645, at Naseby, the most fatal over- 
throw he ever had. 

In this year, 1645, I published a treatise 
called the Starry Messenger, with an inter- 
pretation of three suns seen in London, 29th 
May, 1644, being Charles the Second's birth- 
day : in that book I also put forth an astro- 
logical judgment concerning the effects of a 
solar eclipse, visible the 11th of August, 
1645. Two days before its publishing, my 
antagonist, Captain Wharton, having given 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 109 

his astronomical judgment upon his Majes- 
ty's present march from Oxford ; therein 
again fell foul against me and John Booker : 
Sir Samuel Luke, Governor of Newport- 
pagnel, had the thing came to his garrison 
from Oxford, which presently was presented 
unto my view. I had but twelve hours, or 
thereabout, to answer it, which I did with 
such success as is incredible ; and the printer 
printed both the March and my answer unto 
it, and produced it to sight, with my Starry 
Messenger, which came forth and was made 
publick the very day of the Parliament's 
great victory obtained against his Majesty 
in person at Naseby, under the conduct of 
the Lord Thomas Fairfax. 

That book no sooner appeared, but within 
fourteen days complaint was made to the 
committee of examinations, Miles Corbet 
then being Chairman, my mortal enemy, he 



HO LILLY'S HISTORY 

who after was hanged, drawn, and quartered, 
for being one of the King's Judges ; he grants 
his warrant, and a messenger to the Serjeant 
at Arms seizeth my person. As I was going 
to Westminster with the messenger, I met 
Sir Philip Stapleton, Sir Christopher Wray, 
Mr. Denzil Hollis, Mr. Robert Reynolds, 
who, by great fortune, had the Starry Mes- 
senger sheet by sheet from me as it came 
from the press. They presently fell a smil- 
ing at me ; * Miles Corbet, Lilly, will punish 
thee soundly ; but fear nothing, we will dine, 
and make haste to be at the committee time 
enough to do the business;' and so they most 
honourably performed; for they, as soon as 
they came, sat down, and put Mr. Reynolds 
purposely into the chair, and I was called 
in ; but Corbet being not there, they bid me 
withdraw until he came ; which when he did, 
I was commanded to appear, and Corbet 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. Ill 

desired to give the cause of my being in re- 
straint, and of the committee's order. Mr. 
Reynolds was purposely put into the chair, 
and continued till my business was over. 

Corbet produced my Anglicus of 1645, and 
said there were many scandalous passages 
therein against the Commissioners of Excise 
in London. He produced one passage, which 
being openly read by himself, the whole com- 
mittee adjudged it to signify the errors of 
sub -officers, but had no relation to the Com- 
missioners themselves, which I affirmatively 
maintained to be the true meaning as the 
committee declared. 

Then Corbet found out another dangerous 
place, as he thought, and the words were 
thus in the printed book — ' In the name of 
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, will not 
the Excise pay the soldiers V 

Corbet very ignorantly read, \ will not the 



112 LILLY'S HISTORY 

Eclipse pay soldiers?' at which the Com- 
mittee fell heartily to laugh at him, and so 
he became silent. 

There was a great many Parliament men 
there ; the chamber was full. ' Have you 
any more against Mr. Lilly V cried the chair- 
man. 

' Yes/ saith the Sollieitor for the Excise, 
6 since his Starry Messenger came forth we 
had our house burnt, and the Commissioners 
pulled by their cloaks in the Exchange.' 
6 Pray, sir, when was this,' asked old Sir 
Robert Pye, ' that the house was burnt, and 
the Aldermen abused V ' It was in such a 
week,' saith he. ' Mr. Lilly, when came 
the book forth V ' The very day of Naseby 
fight,' answered Mr. Reynolds, ' nor needs 
he be ashamed of writing it : I had it daily 
as it came forth of the press : it was then 
found the house to be burnt, and the Alder- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 113 

men abused, twelve days before the Starry 
Messenger came forth.' ' What a lying fel- 
low art thou,' saith Sir Robert Pye, ' to abuse 
us so!' This he spoke to the Sollicitor. 
Then stood up one Bassell, a merchant : he 
inveighed bitterly against me, being a Pres- 
byterian, and would have had my books 
burnt. 'You smell more of a citizen than a 
scholar,' replied Mr. Francis Drake. I was 
ordered to withdraw, and by and by was 
called in, and acquainted the committee did 
discharge me. But I cried with a loud voice, 
'I was under a messenger;' whereupon the 
committee ordered him or the Serjeant at 
Arms not to take any fees; Mr. Reynolds 
saying, ' Literate men never pay any fees.' 

But within one week after, I was likely to 
have had worse success, but that the before- 
named gentlemen stoutly befriended me. In 
my Epistle of the Starry Messenger, I had 



114 LILLY'S HISTORY 

been a little too plain with the committee of 
Leicestershire ; who thereof made complaint 
unto Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, Knight for that 
county ; he was a furious person, and made 
a motion in the House of Commons against 
me, and the business was committed to that 
committee, whereof Baron Rigby was chair- 
man. A day was assigned to hear the mat- 
ter ; in the morning whereof, as I passed by 
Mr. Pullen's shop in St. Paul's Church-yard, 
Pullen bad ' God be with you,' and named 
me by name. Mr. Selden being there, and 
hearing my name, gave direction to call me 
unto him, where he acquaints me with Ha- 
zelrigg's humour and malice towards me, 
called for the Starry Messenger, and having 
read over the words mentioning that com- 
mittee, he asked me how I would answer 
them? I related what I would have said, 
but he contradicted me, and acquainted me 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 115 

what to say, and how to answer. In the af- 
ternoon I went to appear, but there was no 
committee set, or would sit ; for both Mr. 
Reynolds and Sir Philip Stapleton, and my 
other friends, had fully acquainted Baron 
Rigby with the business, and desired him not 
to call upon me until they appeared ; for the 
matter and charge intended against me was 
very frivolous, and only presented by a cho- 
lerick person to please a company of clowns, 
meaning the committee of Leicester. Baron 
Rigby said, if it were so he would not med- 
dle with the matter, but exceedingly desired 
to see me. Not long after he met Sir Ar- 
thur, and acquainting him what friends ap- 
peared for me, said, * I will then prosecute 
him no further.' 

All the ancient astrologers of England were 
much startled and confounded at my manner 
of writing, especially old Mr. William Hodges, 



116 LILLY'S HISTORY 

who lived near Wolverhampton in Stafford- 
shire, and many others who understood as- 
trology competently well, as they thought. 
Hodges swore I did more by astrology than 
he could by the crystal, and use thereof, 
which indeed he understood as perfectly as 
any one in England. He was a great royalist, 
but could never hit any thing right for that 
party, though he much desired it : he re- 
solved questions astrologically ; nativities he 
meddled not with ; in things of other nature, 
which required more curiosity, he repaired 
to the crystal : his angels were Raphael, 
Gabriel, and Uriel : his life answered not in 
holiness and sanctity to what it should, ha- 
ving to deal with those holy angels. Being 
contemporary with me, I shall relate what 
my partner John Scott, the same Scott as is 
before-mentioned, affirmed of him. John 
Scott was a little skilful in surgery and phy- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 117 

sick, so was Will Hodges, and had formerly 
been a school-master. Scott having some 
occasions into Staffordshire, addressed him- 
self for a month or six weeks to Hodges, as- 
sisted him to dress his patients, let blood, 
&c. Being to return to London, he desired 
Hodges to shew him the person and feature 
of the woman he should marry. Hodges 
carries him into a field not far from his house, 
pulls out his crystal, bids Scott set his foot 
to his, and, after a while, wishes him to in- 
spect the crystal, and observe what he saw 
there. ' I see,' saith Scott, * a ruddy com- 
plexioned wench in a red waistcoat, drawing 
a can of beer.' ' She must be your wife,' 
said Hodges. ' You are mistaken, Sir,' said 
Scott. ' I am, so soon as I come to London, 
to marry a tall gentlewoman in the Old 
Bailey.' 'You must marry the red waist- 
coat,' said Hodges. Scott leaves the coun- 



118 LILLY'S HISTORY 

try, comes up to London, finds his gentle- 
woman married : two years after going into 
Dover, in his return, he refreshed himself at 
an inn in Canterbury, and as he came into 
the hall, or first room thereof, he mistook 
the room, and went into the buttery, where 
he espied a maid, described by Hodges, as 
before said, drawing a can of beer, &c. He 
then more narrowly viewing her person and 
habit, found her, in all parts, to be the same 
Hodges had described ; after which he be- 
came a suitor unto her, and was married 
unto her ; which woman I have often seen. 
This Scott related unto me several times, 
being a very honest person, and made great 
conscience of what he spoke. Another story 
of him is as follow eth, which I had related 
from a person which well knew the truth of 
it. 

A neighbour gentleman of Hodges lost his 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 119 

horse ; who having Hodges's advice for reco- 
very of him, did again obtain him. Some 
years after, in a frolick, he thought to abuse 
him, acquainting a neighbour therewith, viz. 
That he had formerly lost a horse, went to 
Hodges, recovered him again, but saith it 
was by chance ; I might have had him with- 
out going unto him : ' Come, let's go, I will 
now put a trick upon him ; I will leave some 
boy or other at the town's-end with my horse, 
and then go to Hodges and enquire for him.' 
He did so, gave his horse to a youth, with 
orders to walk him till he returned. Away 
he goes with his friend, salutes Mr. Hodges,, 
thanks him for his former courtesy, and now 
desires the like, having lost a horse very 
lately. Hodges, after some time of pausing, 
said ; ' Sir, your horse is lost, and never to 
be recovered.' ' I thought what skill you 
had,' replies the gallant, ' my horse is walk- 



120 LILLY'S HISTORY 

ing in a lane at the town's-end.' With that 
Hodges swore (as he was too much given 
unto that vice) f your horse is gone, and you 
will never have him again.' The gentleman 
departed in great derision of Hodges, and 
went where he left his horse : when he came 
there, he found the boy fast asleep upon the 
ground, the horse gone, the boy's arm in the 
bridle. 

He returns again to Hodges, desiring his 
aid, being sorry for his former abuse. Old 
Will swore like a devil, ' be gone, be gone ; 
go look for your horse.' This business ended 
not so ; for the malicious man brought 
Hodges into the star-chamber, bound him 
over to the assizes, put Hodges to great ex- 
pences : but, by means of the Lord Dudley, 
if I remember aright, or some other person 
thereabouts, he overcame the gentleman, and 
was acquitted. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 121 

Besides this, a gentlewoman of my ac- 
quaintance, and of credit, in Leicestershire, 
having lost a pillion-cloth, a very new one, 
went to desire his judgment. He ordered 
her such a day to attend at Mountsorrel in 
Leicestershire, and about twelve o'clock she 
should see her pillion-cloth upon a horse, 
and a woman upon it. My friend attended 
the hour and place ; it being told, she must 
needs warm herself well, and then enquired 
if any passengers had lately gone by the inn ? 
Unto whom answer was made, there passed 
by whilst she was at the fire, about half an 
hour before, a man, and a woman behind 
him, on horse-back. Inquiring of what co- 
lour the pillion-cloth was of ; it was answer- 
ed, directly of the colour my friend's was : 
they pursued, but too late. 

In those times, there lived one William 
Marsh in Dunstable, a man of godly life and 



122 LILLY'S HISTORY 

upright conversation, a Recusant. By astro- 
logy he resolved thievish questions with great 
success ; that was his utmost sole practice. 
He was many times in trouble ; but by Dr. 
Napper's interest with the Earl of Boling- 
broke, Lord Wentworth, after Earl of Cleve- 
land, he still continued his practice, the said 
Earl not permitting any Justice of Peace to 
vex him. 

This man had only two books, Guido and 
Haly bound together: he had so mumbled 
and tumbled the leaves of both, that half one 
side of every leaf was torn even to the mid- 
dle. I was familiar with him for many 
years : he died about 1647. 

A word or two of Dr. Napper, who lived 
at Great Lindford in Buckinghamshire, was 
parson, and had the advowson thereof. He 
descended of worshipful parents, and this 
you must believe ; for when Dr. Napper's 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 123 

brother, Sir Robert Napper, a Turkey mer- 
chant, was to be made a Baronet in King 
James's reign, there was some dispute 
whether he could prove himself a gentleman 
for three or more descents. ' By my saul/ 
saith King James, ' I will certify for Napper, 
that he is of above three hundred years 
standing in his family, all of them, by my 
saul, gentlemen,' &c. However, their family 
came into England in King Henry the 
Eighth's time. The parson was Master of 
Arts ; but whether doctorated by degree or 
courtesy, because of his profession, I know 
not. Miscarrying one day in the pulpit, he 
never after used it, but all his life-time kept 
in his house some excellent scholar or other 
to officiate for him, with allowance of a good 
salary : he out-went Forman in physick and 
holiness of life; cured the falling- sickness 



124 LILLY'S HISTORY 

perfectly by constellated rings, some diseases 
by amulets, &c. 

A maid was much afflicted with the fall- 
ing sickness, whose parents applied them- 
selves unto him for cure : he framed her a 
constellated ring, upon wearing whereof, she 
recovered perfectly. Her parents acquaint- 
ed some scrupulous divines with the cure of 
their daughter: 'The cure is done by in- 
chantment,' say they. ' Cast away the ring, 
it's diabolical ; God cannot bless you, if you 
do not cast the ring away.' The ring was 
cast into the well, whereupon the maid be- 
came epileptical as formerly, and endured 
much misery for a long time. At last her 
parents cleansed the well, and recovered the 
ring again; the maid wore it, and her fits 
took her no more. In this condition she was 
one year or two ; which the Puritan minis- 



OF HIS LTFE AND TIMES. 125 

ters there adjoining hearing, never left off, 
till they procured her parents to cast the 
ring quite away ; which done, the fits return- 
ed in such violence, that they were enforced 
to apply to the Doctor again, relating at large 
the whole story, humbly imploring his once 
more assistance ; but he could not be procur- 
ed to do any thing, only said, those who des- 
pised God's mercies, were not capable or 
worthy of enjoying them. 

I was with him in 1632, or 1633, upon oc- 
. casion. He had me up into his library, be- 
ing excellently furnished with very choice 
books : there he prayed almost one hour ; 
he invocated several angels in his prayer, viz.* 
Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, &c. We 
parted. 

* The collect read on Michaelmas-day, seems to allow 
of praying to angels. At some times, upon great occa- 
sions, he had conference with Michael, but very rarely. 



126 LILLY'S HISTORY 

He instructed many ministers in astrology, 
would lend them whole cloak-bags of books ; 
protected them from harm and violence, by 
means of his power with the Earl of Boling- 
broke.* He would confess my master Evans 
knew more than himself in some things : and 
some time before he died, he got his cousin 
Sir Richard to set a figure to see when he 
should die. Being brought him; ' Well,' he 
said, ' the old man will live this winter, but in 
the spring he will die ; welcome Lord Jesus, 
thy will be done.' He had many enemies :. 
Cotta, Doctor of physick in Northampton, 
wrote a sharp book of witchcraft, wherein, 
obliquely, he bitterly inveighed against the 
Doctor. 

In 1646, 1 printed a collection of Prophe- 
cies, with the explanation and verification of 

* Lord Wentworth, after Earl of Cleveland. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 127 

Aquila, or the White King's Prophecy ; as 
also the nativities of Bishop Laud and Tho- 
mas Earl of Strafford, and a most learned 
speech by him intended to have been spoke 
upon the scaffold. In this year 1646, after a 
great consideration, and many importunities, 
I began to fix upon thoughts of an Introduc- 
tion unto Astrology, which was very much 
wanting, and as earnestly longed for by many 
persons of quality. Something also much 
occasioned and hastened the impression, viz. 
the malevolent barking of Presbyterian minis- 
ters in their weekly sermons, reviling the 
professors thereof, and myself particularly by 
name. 

Secondly, I thought it a duty incumbent 
upon me, to satisfy the whole kingdom of the 
lawfulness thereof, by framing a plain and 
easy method for any person but of indifferent 
capacity to learn the art, and instruct him- 



128 LILLY'S HISTORY 

self therein, without any other master than 
my Introduction ; by which means, when 
many understood it, I should have more part- 
ners and assistants to contradict all and every 
antagonist, 

Thirdly, I found it best as unto point of 
time, because many of the soldiers were 
wholly for it, and many of the Independant 
party ; and I had abundance of worthy men 
in the House of Commons, my assured friends, 
no lovers of Presbytery, which then were in 
great esteem, and able to protect the art ; for 
should the Presbyterian party have prevail- 
ed, as they thought of nothing less than to 
be Lords of all, I knew well they would have 
silenced my pen annually, and committed the 
Introduction unto everlasting silence. 

Fourthly, I had something of conscience 
touched my spirit, and much elevated my 
conceptions, believing God had not bestow- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 129 

ed those abilities upon me, to bury them un- 
der a bushel ; for though my education was 
very mean, yet, by my continual industry, 
and God's great mercy, I found myself capa- 
ble to go forward with the work, and to com- 
mit the issue thereof unto Divine Providence. 

I had a hard task in hand to begin the first 
part hereof, and much labour I underwent to 
methodize it as it is. 

I ingenuously confess unto you (Arts' great 
Mecsenas, noble Esquire Ashmole,) no mor- 
tal man had any share in the composition or 
ordering of the first part thereof, but my only 
self. You are a person of great reading, yet 
I well know you never found the least trace 
thereof in any author yet extant. 

In composing, contriving, ordering, and 
framing thereof (viz. the first part) a great 
part of that year was spent. I again perused 
all, or most, authors I had, sometimes adding, 

K 



130 LILLY'S HISTORY 

at other times diminishing, until at last I 
thought it worthy of the press. When I 
came to frame the second part thereof, hav- 
ing formerly collected out of many manu- 
scripts, and exchanged rules with the most 
able professors I had acquaintance with, in 
transcribing those papers for impression, I 
found, upon a strict inquisition, those rules 
were, for the most part, defective ; so that 
once more I had now a difficult labour to 
correct their deficiency, to new rectify them 
according to art ; and lastly, considering the 
multiplicity of daily questions propounded 
unto me, it was as hard a labour as might be 
to transcribe the papers themselves with my 
own hand. The desire I had to benefit pos- 
terity and my country, at last overcame all 
difficulties ; so that what I could not do in 
one year, I perfected early the next year, 
1647 ; and then in that year, viz. 1647, I 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 131 

finished the third book of * nativities,! dur- 
ing the composing whereof, for seven whole 
weeks, I was shut up of the plague, burying 
in that time two maid-servants thereof; yet 
towards November that year, the Introduc- 
tion, called by the name of Christian Astro- 
logy, was made publick. There being, in 
those times, some smart difference between 
the army and the Parliament, the head-quar- 
ters of the army were at Windsor, whither I 
was carried with a coach and four horses, 
and John Booker with me. We were wel- 
come thither, and feasted in a garden where 
General Fairfax lodged. We were brought 

* The name of the person whose nativity is directed 
and judged, is Mr. Thompson, whose father had been 
some time an inn-keeper at the White-Hart in Newark. 

t I devised the forms and fashions of the several 
schemes. E. A. 



132 LILLY'S HISTORY 

to the General, who bid us kindly welcome 
to Windsor ; and, in effect, said thus much : 

' That God had blessed the army with 
many signal victories, and yet their work 
was not finished. He hoped God would go 
along with them until his work was done. 
They sought not themselves, but the welfare 
and tranquillity of the good people, and 
whole nation ; and, for that end, were re- 
solved to sacrifice both their lives and their 
own fortunes. As for the art we studied, he 
hoped it was lawful and agreeable to God's 
word: he understood it not; but doubted 
not but we both feared God ; and therefore 
had a good opinion of us both.' Unto his 
speech I presently made this reply : 

' My Lord, I am glad to see you here at 
this time. 

' Certainly, both the people of God, and 
all others of this nation, are very sensible of 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 133 

God's mercy, love, and favour unto them, in 
directing the Parliament to nominate and 
elect you General of their armies, a person 
so religious, so valiant. 

' The several unexpected victories obtained 
under your Excellency's conduct, will eter- 
nize the same unto all posterity. 

' We are confident of God's going along 
with you and your army, until the great work 
for which he ordained you both, is fully per- 
fected ; which we hope will be the conquer- 
ing and subversion of your's and the Parlia- 
ment's enemies, and then a quiet settlement 
and firm peace over all the nation, unto God's 
glory, and full satisfaction of tender con- 
sciences. 

6 Sir, as for ourselves, we trust in God ; 
and, as Christians, believe in him. We do 
not study any art but what is lawful, and 
consonant to the scriptures, fathers, and an- 



134 LILLY'S HISTORY 

tiquity ; which we humbly desire you to 
believe/ &c. 

This ended, we departed, and went to 
visit Mr. Peters the minister, who lodged in 
the castle, whom* we found reading an idle 
pamphlet come from London that morning. 
' Lilly, thou art herein/ says he. ' Are not 
you there also V I replied. ' Yes, that I am/ 
quoth he. — The words concerning me were 
these : 

From th' oracles of the Sibyls so silly, 
The curst predictions of William Lilly, 
And Dr. Sybb'ald's Shoe-lane Philly, 

Good Lord, deliver me. 

After much conference with Hugh Peters, 
and some private discourse betwixt us two, 
not to be divulged, we parted, and so came 
back to London. 

King Charles the First, in the year 1646, 




R. Cooper sculp! 



SS HI <S M F 1 T I 1 g 



?irl.-i.l,l'.'.]r|: l .D ];') rllAM. !':',:•. URN DA- RA I DH'VA \DR\n: \ n ■' ' ; 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 135 

April 27, went unto the Scots, then in this 
nation. Many desired my judgment, in 
time of his absence, to discover the way he 
might be taken : which I would never be 
drawn unto, or give any direction concerning 
his person. 

There were many lewd Mercuries printed 
both in London and Oxford, wherein I was 
sufficiently abused, in this year, 1646. I 
had then my ascendant ad n 6, and "C ad 
proprium. The Presbyterians were, in their 
pulpits, as merciless as the Cavaliers in their 
pamphlets. 

About this time, the most famous mathe- 
matician of all Europe,* Mr. William Ough- 
tred, parson of Aldbury in Surry, was in dan- 

* This gentleman I was very well acquainted with, 
having lived at the house over-against his, at Aldbury in 
Surrey, three or four years. ,E. A. 



136 LILLY'S HISTORY 

ger of sequestration by the Committee of or 
for plundered ministers ; ( Ambo-dexters they 
were;) several inconsiderable articles were 
deposed and sworn against him, material 
enough to have sequestered him, but that, 
upon his day of hearing, I applied myself to 
Sir Bolstrode Whitlock, and all my own old 
friends, who in such numbers appeared in 
his behalf, that though the chairman and 
many other Presbyterian members were stiff 
against him, yet he was cleared by the major 
number. The truth is, he had a considerable 
parsonage, and that only was enough to se- 
quester any moderate judgment : he was also 
well known to affect his Majesty. In these 
times many worthy ministers lost their livings 
or benefices, for not complying with the 
Three-penny Directory, Had you seen (O 
noble Esquire) what pitiful ideots were pre- 
fered into sequestrated church-benefices, you 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 137 

would have been grieved in your soul ; but 
when they came before the classis of divines, 
could those simpletons but only say, they 
were converted by hearing such a sermon, 
such a lecture, of that godly man Hugh Pe- 
ters, Stephen Marshall, or any of that gan^ 
he was presently admitted. 

In 1647, I published the World's Catas- 
trophe, the Prophecies of Ambrose Merlin, 
with the Key wherewith to unlock those ob- 
struse Prophecies; also Trithemius of the 
Government of the World by the presiding An- 
gels ; these came forth all in one book. 

The two first were exquisitely translated 
by yourself, (most learned Sir) as I do inge- 
nuously acknowledge in my Epistle unto the 
Reader, with a true character of the worth 
and admirable parts, unto which I refer any 
that do desire to read you perfectly deli- 
neated. I was once resolved to have conti- 



138 LILLY'S HISTORY 

nued Trithemius for some succeeding years, 
but multiplicity of employment impeded me. 
The study required, in that kind of learning, 
must be sedentary, of great reading, sound 
judgment, which no man can accomplish 
except he wholly retire, use prayer, and ac~ 
company himself with angelical consorts. 

His Majesty Charles the First, having en- 
trusted the Scots with his person, was, for 
money, delivered into the hands of the Eng- 
lish Parliament, and, by several removals, 
was had to Hampton-Court, about July or 
August 1647 ; for he was there, and at that 
time when my house was visited with the 
plague. He was desirous to escape from the 
soldiery, and to obscure himself for some 
time near London, the citizens whereof began 
now to be unruly, and alienated in affection 
from the Parliament, inclining wholly to his 
Majesty, and very averse to the army. His 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 139 

Majesty was well informed of all this, and 
thought to make good use hereof ; besides, 
the army and Parliament were at some odds, 
who should be masters. Upon the King's 
intention to escape, and with his consent, 
Madam Whorewood (whom you knew very 
well, worthy Esquire) came to receive my 
judgment, viz. In what quarter of this nation 
he might be most safe, and not to be disco- 
vered until himself pleased. 

When she came to my door, I told her I 
would not let her come into my house, for I 
buried a maid-servant of the plague very 
lately. ' I fear not the plague, but the pox,' 
quoth she ; so up we went. After erection 
of my figure, I told her about twenty miles 
(or thereabouts) from London, and in Essex, 
I was certain he might continue undiscover- 
ed. She liked my judgment very well; and, 
being herself of a sharp judgment, remem- 



140 LILLY'S HISTORY 

bered a place in Essex about that distance, 
where was an excellent house, and all conve- 
niences for his reception. Away she went, 
early next morning, unto Hampton-Court, to 
acquaint his Majesty ; but see the misfortune : 
He, either guided by his own approaching 
hard fate, or misguided by *Ashburnham, 
went away in the night-time westward, and 
surrendered himself to Hammond, in the Isle 
of Wight. 

Whilst his Majesty was at Hampton-Court 
Alderman Adams sent his Majesty one thou- 
sand pounds in gold, five hundred whereof 
he gave Madam Whorewood. I believe I had 
twenty pieces of that very gold for my share. 

* This Ashburnham was turned out of the House of 
Commons the 3d of November, 1667, for taking a bribe of 
five hundred pounds of the merchants. I was informed 
hereof 26th November, 1667. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 141 

I have something more to write of Charles 
the First's misfortunes, wherein I was con- 
cerned; the matter happened in 1648, but I 
thought good to insert it here, having after this 
no more occasion to mention him. 

His Majesty being in Carisbrook-Castle in 
the Isle of Wight, the Kentish men, in great 
numbers, rose in arms, and joined with the 
Lord Goring ; a considerable number of the 
best ships revolted from the Parliament ; the 
citizens of London were forward to rise 
against the Parliament; his Majesty laid his 
design to escape out of prison, by sawing the 
iron bars of his chamber window ; a small 
ship was provided, and anchored not far from 
the castle to bring him into Sussex ; horses 
were provided ready to carry him through 
Sussex into Kent, so that he might be at the 
head of the army in Kent, and from thence 
to march immediately to London, where 



142 LILLY'S HISTORY 

thousands then would have armed for him. 
The Lady Whorewood came to me, acquaints 
me herewith. I got G. Farmer (who was a 
most ingenious lock-smith, and dwelt in Bow- 
lane) to make a saw to cut the iron bars in 
sunder, I mean to saw them, and aqua fortis 
besides. His Majesty in a small time did his 
work ; the bars gave liberty for him to go 
out ; he was out with his body till he came 
to his breast ; but then his heart failing, he 
proceeded no farther : when this was disco- 
vered, as soon after it was, he was narrowly 
looked after, and no opportunity after that 
could be devised to enlarge him. About Sep- 
tember the Parliament sent their Commission- 
ers with propositions unto him into the Isle 
of Wight, the Lord William Sea being one; 
the Lady Whorewood comes again unto me 
from him or by his consent, to be directed : 
After perusal of my figure, I told her the 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 143 

Commissioners would be there such a day; 
I elected a day and hour when to receive the 
Commissioners and propositions ; and as soon 
as the propositions were read, to sign them, 
and make haste with all speed to come up 
with the Commisioners to London. The 
army being then far distant from London, and 
the city enraged stoutly against them, he pro- 
mised he would do so. That night the Com- 
missioners came, and old Sea and his Majes- 
ty had private conference till one in the morn- 
ing : the King acquaints Sea with his inten- 
tion, who clearly dissuaded him from sign- 
ing the propositions, telling him they were 
not fit for him to sign ; that he had many 
friends in the House of Lords, and some in 
the House of Commons ; that he would pro- 
cure more, and then they would frame more 
easy propositions. This flattery of this un- 
fortunate Lord occasioned his Majesty to 



144 LILLY'S HISTORY 

wave the advice I and some others that wish- 
ed his prosperity had given, in expectation of 
that which afterwards could never be gained. 
The army having some notice hereof from one 
of the Commissioners, who had an eye upon 
old Sea, hasted unto London, and made the 
citizens very quiet ; and besides, the Parlia- 
ment and army kept a better correspondency 
afterwards with each other. 

Whilst the King was at Windsor- Castle, 
once walking upon the leads there, he looked 
upon Captain Wharton's Almanack: ' My 
book,' saith he, ' speaks well as to the wea- 
ther :' One William Allen standing by ; 
'what,' saith he, ' saith his antagonist, Mr. 
Lilly ?' 'I do not care for Lilly,' said his 
Majesty, * he hath been always against me,' 
and became a little bitter in his expressions. 
' Sir,' saith Allen, ' the man is an honest 
man, and writes but what his art informs 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 145 

him.' * I believe it/ said his Majesty, ' and 
that Lilly understands astrology as well as 
any man in Europe.' Exit Rex Carolus. 

In 1648 1 published a Treatise of the Three 
Suns, seen the winter preceding ; as also an 
Astrological Judgment upon a Conjunction of 
Saturn and Mars 28 June, in 11 degrees 8 
minutes of Gemini. 

I commend unto your perusal that book 
and the Prophetical Merlin, which, seriously 
considered, (Oh worthy Esquire) will more 
instruct your judgement ( De generalibus con- 
tingentibus Mundi) than all the authors you 
yet ever met with. 

In this year, for very great considerations, 
the Council of State gave me in money fifty 
pounds, and a pension of one hundred pounds 
per Annum, which for two years I received, 
but no more : upon some discontents I after 
would not or did require it. The cause mOV- 



146 LILLY'S HISTORY 

ing them was this; they could get no intel- 
ligence out of France, although they had se- 
veral agents there for that purpose. I had 
formerly acquaintance with a secular priest, 
at this time confessor to one of the Secreta- 
ries ; unto him I wrote, and by that means 
had perfect knowledge of the chiefest concern- 
ments of France, at which they admired ; but 
I never yet, until this day, revealed the name 
of the person. 

One occasion why I deserted that employ- 
ment was, because Scott, who had eight 
hundred pounds per Annum for intelligence, 
would not contribute any occasion to gratify 
my friend : And another thing was, I received 
some affront from Gualter Frost their Secre- 
tary, one that was a principal minister be- 
longing to the Council of State. Scott was 
ever my enemy, the other knave died of a 
gangrene in his arm suddenly after. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 147 

In 1648 and 1649, that I might encourage 
young students in astrology, I publickly read 
over the first part of my Introduction, where- 
in there are many things contained, not easily 
to be understood. 

And now we are entered into the year 1649 : 
his Majesty being at St\ James's House, in 
January of that year, I begun its observa- 
tions thus : 

V( Iam serious, I beg and expect justice ; 
either fear or shame begins to question of- 
fenders. 

" The lofty cedars begin to divine a thun- 
dering hurricane is at hand; God elevates 
men contemptible. 

"Our demigods are sensible we begin to 
dislike their actions very much in London, 
more in the country. 

" Blessed be God, who encourages his ser- 
vants, makes them valiant, and of undaunted 



148 LILLY'S HISTORY 

spirits, to go on with his decrees : upon a 
sudden, great expectations arise, and men 
generally believe a quiet and calm time 
draws nigh." 

In Christmas holidays, the Lord Gray of 
Grooby and Hugh Peters sent for me to 
Somerset-House, with directions to bring 
them two of my Almanacks. — I did so; Pe- 
ters and he read January's Observations. 

' If we are not fools and knaves,' saith he, 
' we shall do justice:' then they whispered. 
I understood not their meaning till his Majes- 
ty was beheaded. They applied what I wrote 
of justice, to be understood of his Majesty, 
which was contrary to my intention ; for Ju- 
piter, the first day of January, became direct ; 
and Libra is a sign signifying Justice ; I im- 
plored for justice generally upon such as had 
cheated in their places, being treasurers, and 
such like officers. I had not then heard the 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 149 

least intimation of bringing the King unto 
trial, and yet the first day thereof I was ca- 
sually there, it being upon a Saturday ; for 
going to Westminster every Saturday in the 
afternoon, in these times, at White-hall I ca- 
sually met Peters ; '■ Come, Lilly, wilt thou 
go hear the King tried?' 'When?' said I. 
\ Now, just now ; go with me.' I did so, and 
was permitted by the guard of soldiers to 
pass up to the Kings-Bench. Within one 
quarter of an hour came the Judges, present- 
ly his Majesty, who spoke excellently well, 
and majestically, without impediment in the 
least when he spoke. I saw the silver top 
of his staff unexpectedly fall to the ground, 
which was took up by Mr. Rushworth : and 
then I heard Bradshaw the Judge say to his 
Majesty, 

' Sir, instead of answering the court, you 



150 LILLY'S HISTORY 

interrogate their power, which becomes not 
one in your condition' — 

These words pierced my heart and soul, to 
hear a subject thus audaciously to reprehend 
his Sovereign, who ever and anon replied 
with great magnanimity and prudence. 

After that his Majesty was beheaded, the 
Parliament for some years effected nothing 
either for the publick peace or tranquillity 
of the nation, or settling religion as they had 
formerly promised. The interval of time be- 
twixt his Majesty's death and Oliver Crom- 
wel's displacing them, was wholly consumed 
in voting for themselves, and bringing their 
own relations to be members of Parliament, 
thinking to make a trade thereof. 

The week, or three or four days before his 
Majesty's beheading, one Major Sydenham, 
who had commands in Scotland, came to 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 151 

take his leave of me, and told me the King 
was to be put to death, which I was not wil- 
ling to believe, and said, ' I could not be per- 
suaded the Parliament could find any English- 
man so barbarous, that would do that foul ac- 
tion.' ' Rather,' saith he, ' than they should 
want such a man, these arms of mine should 
do it.' He went presently after into Scot- 
land, and upon the first engagement against 
them, was slain, and his body miserably cut 
and mangled. 

In 1651 I published Monarchy or no Mo- 
narchy, and in the latter end thereof some 
hieroglyphics of my own, composed, at spare 
time, by the occult learning, many of those 
types having representations of what should 
from thence succeed in England, and have 
since had verification. 

I had not that learning from books, or any 
manuscript I ever yet met withal, it is reduc- 



152 LILLY'S HISTORY 

ed from a cabal lodging in astrology, but so 
mysterious and difficult to be attained, that 
I have not yet been acquainted with any who 
had that knowledge. I will say no more 
thereof, but that the asterisms and signs and 
constellations give greatest light thereunto. 

During Bradshaw's being President of the 
Council of State, it was my happiness to pro- 
cure Captain Wharton his liberty, which 
when Bradshaw understood, said, ' I will be 
an enemy to Lilly, if ever he come before me.' 
Sir Bolstrode Whitlock broke the ice first of 
all on behalf of Captain Wharton: after him 
the Committee, unto whom his offence had 
been committed, spoke for him, and said he 
might well be bailed or enlarged : I had spo- 
ken to the Committee the morning of his de- 
livery, who thereupon were so civil unto him, 
especially Sir William Ermin of Lincolnshire, 
who at first wondered I appeared not against 



OF HIS LIFE AND TLMES. 153 

him ; but upon my humble request, my long 
continued antagonist was enlarged and had 
his liberty. 

In 1651 I purchased one hundred and ten 
pounds per Annum in fee-farm rents for one 
thousand and thirty pounds. I paid all in 
ready money ; but when his Majesty King 
Charles the Second, 1660, was restored, I lost 
it all again, and it returned to the right own- 
er ; the loss thereof never afflicted me, for I 
have ever reduced my mind according to my 
fortune. I was drawn in by several persons 
to make that simple purchase. The year I 
bought it, I had my ascendant directed into 
a Trine of Jupiter first, and in the same year 
into the Cauda Draconis — my fortune into a 
quadrant of Mercury When Colchester was 
besieged, John Booker and myself were sent 
for, where we encouraged the soldiers, assur- 
ing them the town would very shortly be sur- 



154 LILLY'S HISTORY 

rendered, as indeed it was : I would willing- 
ly have obtained leave to enter the town, to 
have informed Sir Charles Lucas, whom I 
well knew, with the condition of affairs as 
they then stood, he being deluded by false 
intelligence : at that time my scholar Hum- 
phreys was therein, who many times deluded 
the Governor with expectation of relief; but 
failing very many times with his lies, at last 
he had the bastinado, was put in prison, and 
inforced to become a soldier ; and well it was 
he escaped so. — During my being there, the 
steeple of St. Mary's Church was much bat- 
tered by two cannons purposely placed: I 
was there one day about three of the clock 
in the afternoon, talking with the cannoneer, 
when presently he desired us to look to our- 
selves, for he perceived by his perspective 
glass there was a piece charged in the castle 
against his work, and ready to be discharged. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 155 

I ran for haste under an old ash-tree, and im- 
mediately the cannon-bullet came hissing 
quite over us. ' No danger now,' saith the 
gunner, ' but begone, for there are five more 
charging,' which was true ; for two hours 
after those cannons were discharged, and un- 
luckily killed our cannoneer and matross. I 
came the next morning and saw the blood of 
the two poor men lie upon the planks : we 
were well entertained at the head -quarters, 
and after two whole days abiding there, came 
for London. 

But we prosecute our story again, and 
say that in the year 1652 I purchased my 
house and some lands in Hersham, in the 
parish of Walton upon Thames, in the county 
of Surrey, where I now live ; intending by 
the blessing of God, when I found it conve- 
nient, to retire into the country, there to end 
my days in peace and tranquillity ; for in 



156 LILLY'S HISTORY 

London my practice was such, I had none or 
very little time afforded me to serve God, 
who had been so gracious unto me. The 
purchase of the house and lands, and build- 
ings, stood me in nine hundred and fifty 
pounds sterling, which I have very much 
augmented. 

The Parliament now grows odious unto 
all good men, the members whereof became 
insufferable in their pride, covetousness, self- 
ends, laziness, minding nothing but how to 
enrich themselves . Much heart- burning now 
arose betwixt the Presbyterian and Inde- 
pendant, the latter siding with the army, 
betwixt whose two judgments there was no 
medium. Now came up, or first appeared, 
that monstrous people called Ranters : and 
many other novel opinions, in themselves he- 
retical and scandalous, were countenanced 
by members of Parliament, many whereof 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 157 

were of the same judgment. Justice was 
neglected, vice countenanced, and all care of 
the common good laid aside. Every judg- 
ment almost groaned under the heavy bur- 
then they then suffered ; the army neglected ; 
the city of London scorned; the ministry, 
especially those who were orthodox and seri- 
ous, honest or virtuous, had no countenance ; 
my soul began to loath the very name of a 
Parliament, or Parliament-men. There yet 
remained in the House very able, judicious, 
and worthy patriots ; but they, by their si- 
lence, only served themselves : all was car- 
ried on by a rabble of dunces, who being the 
greater number, voted what seemed best to 
their non-intelligent fancies. 

In this year I published Annus Tenebrosus, 
which book I did not so entitle, because of 
the great obscurity of the solar eclipse, by so 
many prattled of to no purpose, but because 



158 LILLY'S HISTORY 

of those underhand and clandestine counsels 
held in England by the soldiery, of which I 
would never, but in generals, give any know- 
ledge unto any Parliament man. I had wrote 
publicklyin 1650, that the Parliament should 
not continue, but a new government should 
arise, &c. 

In my next year's Anglicus, upon rational 
grounds in astrology, I was so bold as to aver 
therein, that the Parliament stood upon a 
tottering foundation, and that the common- 
alty and soldiery would join together against 
them. 

My Anglicus was for a whole week every 
day in the Parliament House, peeped into 
by the Presbyterians, one disliking this sen- 
tence, another finds another fault, others 
misliked the whole ; so in the end a motion 
was made, that Anglicus should be inspected 
by the Committee for plundered ministers ; 




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OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 159 

which being done, they were to return them 
to the House, viz. report its errors. 

A messenger attached me by a warrant- 
from that Committee ; I had private notice 
ere the messenger came, and hasted unto 
Mr. Speaker Lenthall, ever my friend. He 
was exceeding glad to see me, told me what 
was done ; called for Anglicus, marked the 
passages which tormented the Presbyterians 
so highly. I presently sent for Mr. Warren 
the printer, an assured Cavalier, obliterated 
what was most offensive, put in other more 
significant words, and desired only to have 
six amended against next morning, which 
very honestly he brought me. I told him 
my design was to deny the book found fault 
with, to own only the six books. I told him, 
I doubted he would be examined. ' Hang 
them,' said he, ' they are all rogues. I'll 



160 LILLY'S HISTORY 

swear myself to the devil ere they shall have 
an advantage against you by my oath.' 

The day after, I appeared before the Com- 
mittee, being thirty-six in number that day ; 
whereas it was observed, at other times, it was 
very difficult to get five of them together. At 
first they shewed me the true Anglicus, and 
asked if I wrote and printed it. I took the 
book and inspected it very needfully ; and 
when I had done so, said thus : 

6 This is none of my book, some malicious 
Presbyterian hath wrote it, who are my mor- 
tal enemies ; I disown it.' The Committee 
looked upon one another like distracted men, 
not imagining what I presently did ; for I 
presently pulled out of my pocket six books, 
and said, ' These I own, the others are coun- 
terfeits, published purposely to ruin me.' 
The Committee were now more vexed than 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 161 

before : not one word was spoke a good 
while ; at last, many of them, or the greatest 
number of them, were of opinion to imprison 
me. Some were for Newgate, others for the 
Gate-House ; but then one Brown of Sussex, 
called the Presbyterian beadle, whom the 
Company of Stationers had bribed to be my 
friend, by giving him a new Book of Mar- 
tyrs ; he, I say, preached unto the Com- 
mittee this doctrine, that neither Newgate or 
the Gate-House were prisons unto which at 
any time the Parliament sent their prisoners : 
it was most convenient for the Serjeant at 
Arms to take me in custody. 

Mr. Strickland, who had for many years 
been the Parliament's Ambassador or Agent 
in Holland, when he saw how they inclined, 
spoke thus : 

* I came purposely into the Committee 
this day to see the man who is so famous in 

M 



162 LILLY'S HISTORY 

those parts where I have so long continued : 
I assure you his name is famous all over 
Europe : I come to do him justice. A book 
is produced by us, and said to be his ; he 
denies it ; we have not proved it, yet will 
commit him. Truly this is great injustice. 
It is likely he will write next year, and ac- 
quaint the whole world with our injustice; 
and so well he may. It is my opinion, first 
to prove the book to be his, ere he be com- 
mitted.' 

Another old friend of mine, Mr. R. spoke 
thus : 

' You do not know the many services this 
man hath done for the Parliament these many 
years, or how many times, in our greatest 
distresses, we applying unto him, he hath 
refreshed our languishing expectations ; he 
never failed us of comfort in our most un- 
happy distresses. I assure you his writings 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 163 

have kept up the spirits both of the soldiery, 
the honest people of this nation, and many 
of us Parliament men ; and now at last, for a 
slip of his pen (if it were his) to be thus vio- 
lent against him : I must tell, you, I fear the 
consequence urged out of the book will prove 
effectually true. It is my counsel, to admo- 
nish him hereafter to be more wary, and for 
the present to dismiss him.' 

Notwithstanding any thing that was spoken 
on my behalf, I was ordered to stand com- 
mitted to the Serjeant at Arms. The mes- 
senger attached my person, said I was his 
prisoner. As he was carrying me away, he 
was called to bring me again. Oliver Crom- 
well, Lieutenant- General of the army, having 
never seen me, caused me to be produced 
again, where he stedfastly beheld me for a 
good space, and then I went with the mes- 
senger ; but instantly a young clerk of that 



164 LILLY'S HISTORY 

Committee asks the messenger what he did 
with me, where's the warrant ? until that is 
signed you cannot seize Mr. Lilly, or shall- 
Will you have an action of false imprison- 
ment against you ? So I escaped that night, 
but next day obeyed the warrant. That 
night Oliver Cromwell went to Mr. R. my 
friend, and said, 'What never a man to take 
Lilly's cause in hand but yourself ? None to 
take his part but you ? He shall not be long 
there.' Hugh Peters spoke much in my be- 
half to the Committee ; but they were re- 
solved to lodge me in the Serjeant's custody. 
One Millington, a drunken member, was 
much my enemy; and so was Cawley and 
Chichester, a deformed fellow, unto whom I 
had done several courtesies. 

First thirteen days I was a prisoner ; and 
though every day of the Committee's sitting 
I had a petition to deliver, yet so many 



OF HIS IFE AND TIMES. 165 

churlish Presbyterians still appeared, I could 
not get it accepted. The last day of the 
thirteen, Mr. Joseph Ash was made Chair- 
man, unto whom my cause being related, he 
took my petition, and said I should be bailed 
in despite of them all, but desired I would 
procure as many friends as I could to be 
there. Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, and Major 
Salloway, a person of excellent parts, ap- 
peared for me, and many now of my old 
friends came in. After two whole hours ar- 
guing of my cause by Sir Arthur and Major 
Salloway, and other friends, the matter came 
to this point ; I should be bailed, and a Com- 
mittee nominated to examine the printer. 
The order of the Committee being brought 
afterwards to him who should be Chairman 

9 

he sent me word, do what I would, he would 
see all the knaves hanged, ere he would exa- 
mine the printer. This is the truth of the story. 



166 LILLY'S HISTORY 

The 16th of February 165|, my second 
wife died ; for whose death I shed no tears. 
I had five hundred pounds with her as a por- 
tion, but she and her poor relations spent 
me one thousand pounds. Gloria Patri, 8$ 
Filio, 8$ Spiritui Sancto : sicut erat in principle* 
8$ nunc, $f semper, 8$ in scecula sceculorum : for 
the 20th of April 1655, these enemies of mine, 
viz. Parliament men, were turned out of doors 
by Oliver Cromwell. A German doctor of 
physick being then in London, sent me this 
paper : 

Strophe Alcaica : Generoso Domino Gulielmo 
Lillio' Astrologo, de dissoluto nuper Parlia- 
ment. 

Quod calculasti Sydere prsevio, 
Miles peregit numine conscio ; 
Gentis videmus nunc Senatum 
Marte togaque gravi levatum. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 167 

In the time of my imprisonment, Mr. 
Rushworth came to visit me, and told me, 
the army would do as much as I had pre- 
dicted unto the Parliament. 

In October 1654, I married the third wife, 
who is signified in my nativity by Jupiter in 
Libra ; and she is so totally in her conditions, 
to my great comfort. 

In 1655, 1 was indicted at Hicks's-Hall by 
a half-witted young woman. Three several 
sessions she was neglected, and the Jury cast 
forth her bill ; but the fourth time, they found 
it against me : I put in bail to traverse the 
indictment. The cause of the indictment 
was, for that I had given judgment upon sto- 
len goods, and received two shillings and 
six-pence. — And this was said to be contrary 
unto an Act in King James's time made. 

This mad woman was put upon this action 
against me by two ministers, who had framed 



168 LILLY'S HISTORY 

for her a very ingenious speech, which she 
could speak without book, as she did the 
day of hearing the traverse. She produced 
one woman, who told the court, a son of her's 
was run from her ; that being in much afflic- 
tion of mind for her loss, she repaired unto 
me to know what was become of him ; that 
I told her he was gone for the Barbadoes, 
and she would hear of him within thirteen 
days ; which, she said, she did. 

A second woman made oath, that her hus- 
band being wanting two years, she repaired 
to me for advice : that I told her he was in 
Ireland, and would be at home such a time ; 
and, said she, he did come home accordingly. 

I owned the taking of half a crown for my 
judgment of the theft; but said, I gave no 
other judgment, but that the goods would 
not be recovered, being that was all which 
was required of me : the party, before that, 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 169 

having been with several astrologers, some 
affirming she should have her goods again, 
others gave contrary judgment, which made 
her come unto me for a final resolution. 

At last my enemy began her before-made 
speech, and, without the least stumbling, 
pronounced it before the court ; which ended, 
she had some queries put unto her, and then 
I spoke for myself, and produced my own 
Introduction into court, saying, that I had 
some years before emitted that book for the 
benefit of this and other nations ; that it was 
allowed by authority, and had found good 
acceptance in both universities ; that the 
study of astrology was lawful, and not con- 
tradicted by any scripture ; that I neither 
had, or ever did, use any charms, sorceries, 
or inchantments related in the bill of indict- 
ment, &c. 

She then related, that she had been several 



170 LILLY'S HISTORY 

times with me, and that afterwards she 
could not rest a-nights, but was troubled with 
bears, lions, and tygers, &c. My counsel 
was the Recorder Green, who after he had 
answered all objections, concluded astrology 
was a lawful art. 

* Mistress,' said he, ' what colour was 
those beasts that you were so terrified with?' 

' I never saw any,' said she. 

• How do you then know they were lions, 
tygers, or bears V replied he. — * This is an 
idle person, only fit for Bedlam.' The Jury 
who went not from the bar, brought in, No 
true Bill. 

There were many Presbyterian Justices 
much for her, and especially one Roberts, 
a busy fellow for the Parliament, who after 
his Majesty came in, had like to have lost life 
and fortune. 

I had procured Justice Hooker to be there, 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 171 

who was the oracle of all the Justices of 
Peace in Middlesex. 

There was nothing memorable after that 
happened unto me, until 1650, and the month 
of October, at what time Captain Ow r en 
Cox brought me over from his Majesty of 
Sweden, a gold chain and medal, worth 
about fifty pounds ; the cause whereof was, 
that in the year 1657 and 1658, I had made 
honourable mention of him : the Anglicus of 
1658 being translated into the language spoke 
at Hamburgh, printed and cried about the 
streets, as it is in London. 

The occasion of my writing so honourably 
of his Majesty of Sweden was this: Sir 
Bolstrode Whitlock, Knight, upon the very 
time of Oliver's being made Protector, having 
made very noble "articles betwixt Christina 
then Queen of Sweden, and the English na- 
tion, was in his being at Stockholm visited 



172 LILLY'S HISTORY 

frequently by Charles Gustavus, unto whom 
Christina resigned during his abode, and used 
with all manner of civility by him, insomuch 
as some other Ambassadors took it ill, that 
they had not so much respect or equal : unto 
which he would reply, he would be kind 
where himself did find just cause of merit 
unto any. He were a great lover of our na- 
tion ; but there were some other causes also 
moving my pen to be so liberal, viz. The 
great hopes I had of his prevailing, and of 
taking Copenhagen and Elsinore, which, if he 
had lived, was hoped he might have accom- 
plished ; and had assuredly done, if Oliver 
the Protector had not so untimely (lied ere 
our fleet of ships returned ; for^ Oliver sent 
the fleet on purpose to fight the Dutch ; but 
dying, and the Parliament being restored, 
Sir Henry Vane, who afterwards was behead- 
ed, had order from the Council of State to 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 173 

give order to the fleet what to do now Oliver 
was dead, and themselves restored. Vane, 
out of state-policy, gave the Earl of Sand- 
wich direction not to fight the Dutch. 
Captain Symons, who carried those letters, 
swore unto me, had he known the letters he 
carried had contained any such prohibition, 
he would have sunk both ship and letters. 
Oliver said, when the fleet was to go forth, 
6 That if God blessed his Majesty of Sweden 
with Copenhagen, the English were to have 
Elsinore as their share ; which if once I have,' 
saith Oliver, ' the English shall have the 
whole trade of the Baltick Sea : I will make 
the Dutch find another passage, except they 
will pay such customs as I shall impose.' 
Considering the advantages this would have 
been to our English, who can blame my pen 
for being liberal, thereby to have encouraged 
our famous and noble seamen, or for writing 



174 LILLY'S HISTORY 

so honourably of the Swedish nation, who 
had most courteously treated my best of 
friends, Sir Bolstrode Whitlock, and by whose 
means, had the design taken effect, the Eng- 
lish nation had been made happy with the 
most beneficial concern of all Christendom. 
I shall conclude about Oliver the then Pro- 
tector, with whom obliquely I had transac- 
tions by his son-in-law, Mr. Cleypool ; and 
to speak truly of him, he sent one that wait- 
ed upon him in his chamber, once in two or 
three days, to hear how it fared with me in 
my sessions business ; but I never had of him, 
directly or indirectly, either pension, or any 
the least sum of money, or any gratuity dur- 
ing his whole Protectorship ; this I protest 
to be true, by the name and in the name of 
the most holy God. 

In 1653, before the dissolution of the Par- 
liament, and that ere they had chosen any for 




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OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 175 

their Ambassador into Sweden, Mr. Cley- 
pool came unto me, demanding of me whom 
I thought fittest to send upon that ambassy 
into Sweden: I nominated Sir B. Whitlock, 
who was chosen, and two or three days after 
Mr. Cleypool came again : ' I hope, Mr. Lilly, 
my father hath now pleased you : Your friend 
Sir B. Whitlock is to go for Sweden.' But 
since I have mentioned Oliver Cromwell, I 
will relate something of him, which perhaps 
no other pen can, or will mention. He was 
born of generous parents in Huntingdonshire, 
educated some time at the university of Cam- 
bridge : in his youth was wholly given to de- 
bauchery, quarrelling, drinking, &c. quidnon; 
having by those means wasted his patrimony, 
he was enforced to bethink himself of leaving 
England, and go to New-England : he had 
hired a passage in a ship, but ere she launch- 



176 LILLY'S HISTORY 

ed out for her voyage, a kinsman dieth, leav- 
ing him a considerable fortune ; upon which 
he returns, pays his debts, became affected 
to religion; is elected in 1640 a member of 
Parliament, in 1642 made a Captain of horse 
under Sir Philip Stapleton, fought at Edge- 
Hill ; after he was made a Colonel, then Lieu- 
tenant- General to the Earl of Manchester, 
who was one of the three Generals to fight 
the Earl of Newcastle and Prince Rupert at 
York : Ferdinando Lord Fairfax, and Earl 
Leven the Scot, were the other two for the 
Parliament: the last two thinking all had 
been lost at Marston-Moor fight, Fairfax went 
into Cawood Castle, giving all for lost : at 
twelve at night there came word of the Par- 
liament's victory ; Fairfax being then laid 
down upon a bed, there was not a candle in 
the castle, nor any fire : up riseth Lord Fair- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 177 

fax, procures after some time, paper, ink, and 
candle, writes to Hull, and other garrisons of 
the Parliament's, of the success, and then 
slept. 

Leven the Scot asked the way to Tweed : 
the honour of that day's fight was given to 
Manchester, Sir Thomas Fairfax's brigade of 
horse, and Oliver Cromwell's iron sides ; for 
Cromwell's horse, in those times, usually 
wore head-pieces, back and breast-plates of 
iron. After this victory Cromwell became 
gracious with the House of Commons, espe- 
cially the Zealots, or Presbyterians, with 
whom at that time he especially joined; the 
name Independent, at that time, viz. 1644, 
being not so much spoken of. 

There was some animosity at or before the 
fight, betwixt the Earl of Newcastle and 
Prince Rupert ; for Newcastle being General 
of his Majesty's forces in the North, a person 

N 



178 LILLY'S HISTORY 

of valour, and well esteemed in those parts, 
took it not well to have a competitor in his 
concernments ; for if the victory should fall 
on his Majesty's side, Prince Rupert's forces 
would attribute it unto their own General, 
viz. Rupert, and give him the glory thereof: 
but that it happened, Prince Rupert, in that 
day's fight, engaged the Parliament's forces 
too soon, and before the Earl of Newcastle 
could well come out of York with his army ; 
by reason whereof, though Rupert had abso- 
lutely routed the Scots and the Lord Fairfax's 
forces ; yet ere timely assistance could second 
his army, Sir Thomas Fairfax and Cromwell 
had put him to flight, and not long after all 
Newcastle's army. A most memorable ac- 
tion happened on that day. There was one 
entire regiment of foot belonging to Newcas- 
tle, called the Lambs, because they were all 
new cloathed in white woollen cloth, two or 
three days before the fight. This sole regi- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 179 

ment, after the day was lost, having got into 
a small parcel of ground ditched in, and not 
of easy access of horse, would take no quar- 
ter ; and by mere valour, for one whole hour, 
kept the troops of horse from entering 
amongst them at near push of pike : when 
the horse did enter, they would have no quar- 
ter, but fought it out till there was not thirty 
of them living ; those whose hap it was to 
be beaten down upon the ground as the troop- 
ers came near them, though they could not 
rise for their wounds, yet were so desperate 
as to get either a pike or sword, or piece of 
them, and to gore the troopers' horses as they 
came over them, or passed by them. Captain 
Camby, then a trooper under Cromwell, and 
an actor, who was the third or fourth man 
that entered amongst them, protested, he 
never in all the fights he was in, met with 
such resolute brave fellows, or whom he 



180 LILLY'S HISTORY 

pitied so much, and said, ' he saved two or 
three against their wills.' 

After the fight, Manchester marched slow- 
ly southward, &c. but at last came with his 
army to Newbury fight; which ended, he 
came for London, and there he accuseth 
Cromwell, being his Lieutenant, to the Par- 
liament, of disobedience, and not obeying 
his orders. 

The House of Commons acquaint Crom- 
well herewith, and charge him. as he would 
answer it before God, that the day following 
he should give them a full account of Man- 
chester's proceedings, and the cause and oc- 
casion of their difference, and of the reasons 
why Manchester did not timely move west- 
ward for the relief of Essex, then in the west, 
who was absolutely routed, inforced to fly, 
all his foot taken, and all his ordnance and 
train of artillery, only the horse escaping. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 181 

Cromwell the next day gave this account 
to Mr. Speaker in the House of Commons — 
by way of recrimination. 

That after God had given them a success- 
ful victory at Marston over the King's forces, 
and that they had well refreshed their army, 
Manchester, by their order, did move south- 
ward, but with such slowness, that sometimes 
he would not march for three days together ; 
sometimes he would lie still one day, then 
two days ; whereupon he said, considering 
the Earl of Essex was in the west, with what 
success he then knew not, he moved Manches- 
ter several times to quicken his march to the 
west, for relief of Essex, if he were beaten, 
or to divert the King's forces from following 
of Essex ; but he said Manchester still refus- 
ed to make any haste ; and that one day he 
said, ' If any man but yourself, Lieutenant, 
should so frequently trouble me, I would call 



182 LILLY'S HISTORY 

him before a Council of War. We have 
beaten the King's forces in the north ; if we 
should do so in the west, his Majesty is then 
undone : he hath many sons living ; if any of 
them come to the Crown, as they well may, 
they will never forget us.' This Major Ham- 
mond, a man of honour, will justify as well 
as myself. After which he marched not at 
all, until he had order from the Committee to 
hasten westward, by reason of Essex's being 
lost in Cornwall, which then he did ; and at 
Newbury fight, it is true, I refused to obey 
his directions and order : for this it was ; his 
Majesty's horse being betwixt four and five 
thousand in a large common, in good order, 
he commands me, Mr. Speaker, to charge 
them ; we having no way to come at them 
but through a narrow lane, where not above 
three horse could march abreast; whereby 
had I followed his order, we had been all cut 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 183 

off ere we could have got into any order. 
Mr. Speaker, (and then he wept ; which he 
could do toties quoties) I, considering that all 
the visible army you then had, was by this 
counsel in danger to be lost, refused thus to 
endanger the main strength, which now most 
of all consisted of those horse under my com- 
mand, &c. — This his recrimination was well ac- 
cepted by the House of Commons, who there- 
upon, and from that time, thought there was 
none of the House of Lords very fit to be en- 
trusted with their future armies, but had then 
thoughts of making a commoner their Gene- 
ral ; which afterwards they did, and elected 
Sir Thomas Fairfax their General, and Crom- 
well Lieutenant- General ; but it was next 
spring first. Upon Essex's being lost in Corn- 
wall, I heard Serjeant Maynard say, ' If now 
the King haste to London we are undone, 
having no army to resist him.' 



184 LILLY'S HISTORY 

His Majesty had many misfortunes ever at- 
tending him, during his abode at Oxford; 
some by reason of that great animosity be- 
twixt Prince Rupert and the Lord Digby, each 
endeavouring to cross one another ; but the 
worst of all was by treachery of several of- 
ficers under his command, and in his service ; 
for the Parliament had in continual pay one 
Colonel of the King's Council of War; one 
Lieutenant-Colonel ; one Captain ; one En- 
sign ; one or two Serjeants ; several Cor- 
porals, who had constant pay, and duly paid 
them every month, according to the capacity 
of their officers and places, and yet none of 
these knew any thing of each other's being 
so employed. There were several well-wish- 
ers unto the Parliament in Oxford, where each 
left his letter, putting it in at the hole of a 
glass-window, as he made water in the street 
What was put in at the window in any of 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 185 

those houses, was the same day conveyed 
two miles off by some in the habit of town- 
gardeners, to the side of a ditch, where one 
or more were ever ready to give the intelli- 
gence to the next Parliament garrison : I was 
then familiar with all the spies that constant- 
ly went in and out to Oxford. 

But once more to my own actions. I 
had, in 1652 and 1653 and 1654, much con- 
tention with Mr. Gatacre of Rotherhithe, a 
man endued with all kind of learning, and the 
ablest man of the whole synod of divines in 
the Oriental tongues. 

The synod had concluded to make an expo- 
sition upon the bible ; some undertook one 
book, some another. Gatacre fell upon Jere- 
my. Upon making his exposition on the 2d 
verse of the 10th chapter, 

' Learn not the way of the heathen, and 



186 LILLY'S HISTORY 

be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for 
the heathen are dismayed at them.' 

In his Annotations thereupon, he makes a 
scandalous exposition ; and in express terms, 
hints at me, repeating verbatim, ten or twelve 
times, an Epistle of mine in one of my former 
Anglicus. 

The substance of my Epistle was, that I 
did conceive the good angels of God did first 
reveal astrology unto mankind, &c. but he in 
his Annotations calls me blind buzzard, &c. 

Having now liberty of the press, and hear- 
ing the old man was very cholerick, I thought 
fit to raise it up — and only wrote — I referred 
my discourse then in hand to the discussion 
and judgment of sober persons, but not unto 
Thomas Wiseacre, for Senes bis pueri : These 
very words begot the writing of forty-two 
sheets against myself and astrology. The 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 187 

next year I quibbled again in three or four 
lines against him, then he printed twenty- 
two sheets against me. I was persuaded 
by Dr. Gauden, late Bishop of Exeter, to 
let him alone ; but in my next year's Angli- 
cus, in August observations, I wrote, Hdc in 
tumbajacet Presbyter &; Nebulo, in which very 
month he died. 

Several divines applied themselves unto 
me, desiring me to forbear any further vex- 
ing of Mr. Gatacre ; but all of them did as 
much condemn him of indiscretion, that in 
so sober a piece of work as that was, viz. in 
an Annotation upon a sacred text of scripture 
to particularize me and in that dirty lan- 
guage: they pitied him, that he had not 
better considered with himself ere he pub- 
lished it. 

Dean Owen of Christ's-Church in Oxford, 
also in his sermons had sharp invectives 



188 LILLY'S HISTORY 

against me and astrology ; I cried quittance 
with him, by urging Abbot Panormitan's 
judgment of astrology contrary to Owen's, 
and concluded, ' An Abbot was an ace above 
a Dean.' 

One Mr. Nye of the assembly of divines, 
a Jesuitical Presbyterian, bleated forth his 
judgment publickly against me and astro- 
logy : to be quit with him, I urged Causinus 
the Jesuit's approbation of astrology, and 
concluded, Sic canibus catulos, 8§c. 

In some time after the Dutch Ambassador 
being offended with some things in Anglicus, 
presented a memorial to the Council of State, 
that Merlinus Anglicus might be considered, 
and the abuses against their nation examined ; 
but his paper was not accepted of, or I any 
way molested. 

In Oliver's Protectorship, I wrote freely 
and satyrical enough : he was now become 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 189 

Independant, and all the soldiery my friends ; 
for when he was in Scotland, the day of one 
of their fights, a soldier stood with Anglicus 
in his hand ; and as the several troops passed 
by him, ' Lo, hear what Lilly saith ; you are 
in this month promised victory, fight it out, 
brave boys ;' and then read that month's pre- 
diction. 

I had long before predicted the downfall 
of Presbytery, as you (most honoured Sir) 
in the figure thereof, in my Introduction, may 
observe ; and it was upon this occasion. Sir 
Thomas Middleton of Chark Castle, enemy 
to Presbytery, seeing they much prevailed, 
being a member of the House, seriously de- 
manded my judgment, if Presbytery should 
prevail, or not, in England ? The figure 
printed in my Introduction, will best give 
you an account, long before it happened, of 
the sinking and failing of Presbytery ; so 



190 LILLY'S HISTORY 

will the second page of my Hieroglyphicks. 
Those men, to be serious, would preach well ; 
but they were more lordly than Bishops, 
and usually, in their parishes, more tyrannical 
than the Great Turk. 



OF THE YEAR 1660; THE ACTIONS WHERE- 
OF, AS THEY WERE REMARKABLE IN 
ENGLAND, SO WERE THEY NO LESS ME- 
MORABLE AS TO MY PARTICULAR FOR- 
TUNE AND PERSON. 

Upon the Lord General Monk's returning 
from Scotland with his army into England, 
suddenly after his coming to London, Richard 
Cromwell, the then Protector's, authority was 
laid aside, and the old Parliament restored ; 
the Council of State sat as formerly. The 
first act they put the General upon was, to 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 191 

take down the city gates and portcullisses, 
an act which, the General said, was fitter 
for a Janizary to do than for a General ; yet 
he effected the commands received, and then 
lodged in the city with his army. The citi- 
zens took this pulling down of their gates so 
heinously, that one night the ruder sort of 
them procured all the rumps of beef, and 
other baggage, and publickly burnt them in 
the streets, in derision of the then Parlia- 
ment, calling them that now sat, The Rump. 
This hurly-burly was managed as well by the 
General's soldiers as the citizens. The King's 
health was publickly drank all over the city, 
to the confusion of the Parliament. The 
matter continued until midnight, or longer. 
The Council of State, sitting at White-Hall, 
had hereof no knowledge, until Sir Martin 
Noell, a discreet citizen, came about nine at 
night, and then first informed them thereof. 



192 LILLY'S HISTORY 

The Council could not believe it, until they 
had sent some ministers of their own, who 
affirmed the verity thereof. They were at a 
stand, and could not resolve what to do ; at 
last Nevil Smith came, being one of them, 
and publickly protested there was but one 
way to regain their authority, and to be re- 
venged of this affront, and to overthrow the 
Lord General Monk, whom they now per- 
ceived intended otherways than he had pre- 
tended ; his council was, to take away Monk's 
commission, and to give a present commis- 
sion to Major-General Lambert to be their 
General ; which counsel of his, if they would 
take and put it speedily in execution, would 
put an end unto all the present mischiefs. 
The Council in general did all very well ap- 
prove Nevil Smith's judgment ; but presently 
up starts Sir Arthur Hazellrigg, and makes a 
sharp invective against Lambert, and con- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 193 

eluded, he would rather perish under the 
King of Scot's power, than that Lambert 
should ever any more have command under 
the Parliament. 

The Lord General suddenly after brings in 
the long excluded Members to sit in Parlia- 
ment, being persons of great judgment, and 
formerly enforced from sitting therein by the 
soldiery, and connivance of those who stiled 
themselves the godly part of the Parliament. 
These honourable patriots presently voted 
his Majesty's coming into England, and so he 
did in May 1660. But because Charles the 
Second, now (1667) King of England, Son 
of Charles the First, grandchild to James the 
First, King of Great Britany, was so miracu- 
lously restored, and so many hundreds of 
years since prophesied of by Ambrose Merlin, 
it will not be impertinent to mention the pro- 



194 LILLY'S HISTORY 

phecies themselves, the rather because we 
have seen their verification. 

AMBROSE MERLIN'S PROPHECY WROTE ABOUT 
990 YEARS SINCE. 

He calls King James, The Lion of Right- 
eousness ; and saith, when he died, or was 
dead, there would reign a noble White King ; 
this was Charles the First. The prophet dis- 
covers all his troubles, his flying up and down, 
his imprisonment, his death ; and calls him 
Aquila. What concerns Charles the Second, 
is the subject of our discourse: in the Latin 
copy it is thus : 

Delude ab Austro veniet cum Sole super llg- 
neos equos, fy super spumantem inundationem 
maris, Pullus Aquilce navigans in Britanniam. 

Et applicans statim tunc altam domum Aquilce 
sitiens, fy cito aliam sitiet. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 195 



Deinde Pullus Aquilce nidificabit in summa 
rupe totius Britannice : necjuvenis occidet, nee 
ad senem vivet. 

This, in an old copy, is Englished thus : 

' After then, shall come through the south 
with the sun, on horse of tree, and upon all 
waves of the sea, the Chicken of the Eagle, 
sailing into Britain, and arriving anon to the 
house of the Eagle, he shall shew fellowship 
to them beasts. 

' After, the Chicken of the Eagle shall 
nestle in the highest rock of all Britain : nay, 
he shall nought be slain young; nay, he 
nought come old.' 

Another Latin copy renders the last verse 
thus : 

Deinde pullus Aquilce nidificabit in summo 
rupium, nee juvenis occidetur, nee ad senium 
perveniet. There is after this, percificato regno 
omnes occidet ; which is intended of those per- 



196 LILLY'S HISTORY 

sons put to death, that sat as Judges upon 
his father's death. 

THE VERIFICATION. 

His Majesty being in the Low-Countries 
when the Lord General had restored the se- 
cluded Members, the Parliament sent part of 
the Royal Navy to bring him for England, 
which they did in May 1660. Holland is 
East from England, so he came with the sun ; 
but he landed at Dover, a port in the south 
part of England. Wooden-horses, are the 
English ships. 

Tunc nidificabit in summo rupium. 

The Lord General, and most of the gentry 
in England, met him in Kent, and brought 
him unto London, then to White-hall. 

Here, by the highest Rooch, (some write 
Rock,) is intended London, being the metro- 
polis of all England. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 197 

Since which time, unto this very day I 
write this story, he hath reigned in England, 
and long may he do hereafter. 10th Decem- 
ber, 1667. 

Had I leisure, I might verify the whole pre- 
ceding part concerning King Charles. Much 
of the verification thereof is mentioned in my 
Collection of Prophecies, printed 1645. But 
his Majesty being then alive, I forbore much 
of that subject, not willing to give offence. 
I dedicated that book unto him ; and, in the 
conclusion thereof, I advised his return unto 
Parliament, with these words, Fac hoc <§• 
vives. 

There was also a Prophecy printed 1588, in 
Greek characters, exactly decyphering the 
long troubles the English nation had from 
1641 until 1660 ; and then it ended thus : 

' And after that shall come a dreadful dead 



198 LILLY'S HISTORY 

man, and with him a Royal G.' [it is Gamma 
in the Greek, intending C. in the Latin, being 
the third letter in the alphabet,] ' of the best 
blood in the world, and he shall have the 
Crown, and shall set England on the right 
way, and put out all heresies.' 

Monkery being extinguished above eighty 
or ninety years, and the Lord General's name 
being Monk, is the Dead Man. The Royal 
G. or C. is Charles the Second, who, for his 
extraction, may be said to be of the best 
blood in the world. 

These two prophecies were not given vo- 
cally by the angels, but by inspection of the 
crystal in types and figures, or by apparition 
the circular way, where, at some distance, the 
angels appear, representing by forms, shapes, 
and creatures, what is demanded. It is very 
rare, yea, even in our days, for any operator 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 199 

or master to have the angels speak articu- 
lately ; when they do speak, it is like the 
Irish, much in the throat. 

What further concerns his Majesty, will 
more fully be evident about 1672 or 1674, or, 
at farthest, in 1676. And now unto my own 
actions in 1660. 

In the first place, my fee-farm rents, being 
of the yearly value of one hundred and twenty 
pounds, were all lost by his Majesty's com- 
ing to his restoration ; but I do say truly, the 
loss thereof did never trouble me, or did I re- 
pine thereat. 

In June of that year, a new Parliament was 
called, whereunto I was unwillingly invit- 
ed by two messengers of the Serjeant at Arms. 
The matter whereupon I was taken into cus- 
tody was, to examine me concerning the per- 
son who cut off the King's head, viz. the late 
King's. 



200 LtLLY'S HISTORY 

Sir Daniel Harvey, of Surry, got the busi- 
ness moved against me in great displeasure, 
because, at the election of new knights for 
Surrey, I procured the whole town of Walton 
to stand, and give their voices for Sir Richard 
Onslow. The Committee to examine me, 
were Mr. Prinn, one Colonel King, and Mr. 
Richard Weston of Gray's-Inn. 

God's providence appeared very much for 
me that day, for walking in Westminster- 
Hall, Mr. Richard Pennington, son to my 
old friend Mr. William Pennington, met me, 
and enquiring the cause of my being there, 
said no more, but walked up and down the 
hall, and related my kindness to his father 
unto very many Parliament men of Cheshire 
and Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumberland, and 
those northern countries, who numerously 
came up into the Speaker's chamber, and 
bade me be of good comfort: at last he 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 201 

meets Mr. Weston, one of the three unto 
whom my matter was referred for examina- 
tion, who told Mr. Pennington, that he came 
purposely to punish me, and would be bitter 
against me ; but hearing it related, viz* my 
singular kindness and preservation of old 
Mr. Pennington's estate to the value of six 
or seven thousand pounds, ( I will do him all 
the good I can,' says he. ' I thought he had 
never done any good ; let me see him, and 
let him stand behind me where I sit :' I did 
so. At my first appearance, many of the 
young members affronted me highly, and de- 
manded several scurrilous questions. Mr. 
Weston held a paper before his mouth ; bade 
me answer nobody but Mr. Prinn ; I obeyed 
his command, and saved myself much trou- 
ble thereby ; and when Mr. Prinn put any 
difficult or doubtful query unto me, Mr. Wes- 
ton prompted me with a fit answer. At last, 



202 LILLY'S HISTORY 

after almost one hour's tugging, I desired to 
be fully heard what I could say as to the per- 
son who cut Charles the First's head off. 
Liberty being given me to speak, I related 
what follows, viz. 

That the next Sunday but one after Charles 
the First was beheaded, Robert Spavin, Se- 
cretary unto Lieutenant- General Cromwell 
at that time, invited himself to dine with me, 
and brought Anthony Peirson, and several 
others, along with him to dinner : that their 
principal discourse all dinner-time was only, 
who it was that beheaded the King ; one said 
it was the common hangman ; another, Hugh 
Peters ; others also were nominated, but none 
concluded. Robert Spavin, so soon as din- 
ner was done, took me by the hand, and car- 
ried me to the south window: saith he, 
' These are all mistaken, they have not named 
the man that did the fact : it was Lieutenant- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 203 

Colonel JOICE ; I was in the room when he 
fitted himself for the work, stood behind him 
when he did it ; when done, went in again 
with him : there is no man knows this but 
my master, viz. Cromwell, Commissary Ire- 
ton, and myself.' ' Doth not Mr. Rushworth 
know it V said I. ' No, he doth not know it,' 
saith Spavin. The same thing Spavin since 
had often related unto me when we were 
alone. Mr. Prinn did, with much civility, 
make a report hereof in the House ; yet Nor- 
folk the Serjeant, after my discharge, kept 
me two days longer in arrest, purposely to 
get money of me. He had six pounds, and 
his Messenger forty shillings ; and yet I was 
attached but upon Sunday, examined on 
Tuesday, and then discharged, though the 
covetous Serjeant detained me until Thurs- 
day. By means of a friend, I cried quittance 
with Norfolk, which friend was to pay him 






204 LILLY'S HISTORY 

his salary at that time, and abated Norfolk 
three pounds, which we spent every penny 
at one dinner, without inviting the wretched 
Serjeant: but in the latter end of the year, 
when the King's Judges were arraigned at 
the Old-Bailey, Norfolk warned me to at- 
tend, believing I could give information con- 
cerning Hugh Peters. At the sessions I at- 
tended during its continuance, but was never 
called or examined. There I heard Harrison, 
Scott, Clement, Peters, Hacker, Scroop, 
and others of the King's Judges, and Cook 
the Sollicitor, who excellently defended 
himself; I say, I did hear what they could 
say for themselves, and after heard the sen- 
tence of condemnation pronounced against 
them by the incomparably modest and learn- 
ed Judge Bridgman, now Lord Keeper of 
the Great Seal of England. 

One would think my troubles for that year 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 205 

had been ended ; but in January I665, one 
Everard, a Justice of Peace in Westminster, 
ere I was stirring, sent a Serjeant and thirty 
four musqueteers for me to White-Hall : he 
had twice that night seized about sixty per- 
sons, supposed fanaticks, very despicable 
persons, many whereof were aged, some 
were water-bearers, and had been Parlia- 
ment-soldiers ; others, of ordinary callings : 
all these were guarded unto White-Hall, 
into a large room, until day-light, and then 
committed to the Gate-House ; I was had into 
the guard-room, which I thought to be hell ; 
some therein were sleeping, others swearing, 
others smoaking tobacco. In the chimney 
of the room I believe there was two bushels 
of broken tobacco-pipes, almost half one 
load of ashes. Everard, about nine in the 
morning, comes, writes my mittimus for the 
Gate-House, then shews it me : I must be 



206 LILLY'S HISTORY 

contented. I desired no other courtesy, but 
that I might be privately carried unto the 
Gate-House by two soldiers ; that was de- 
nied. Among the miserable crew of people, 
with a whole company of soldiers, I marched 
to prison, and there for three hours was in 
the open air upon the ground, where the 
common house of office came down. After 
three hours, I was advanced from this stink- 
ing place up the stairs, where there was v on 
one side a company of rude swearing persons ; 
on the other side many Quakers, who loving- 
ly entertained me. As soon as I was fixed, 
I wrote to my old friend Sir Edward Walker, 
Garter King at Arms, who presently went to 
Mr. Secretary Nicholas, and acquainted him 
with my condition. He ordered Sir Edward 
to write to Everard to release me, unless he 
had any particular information against me, 
which he had not. He further said, it was 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 207 

not his Majesty's pleasure that any of his 
subjects should be thus had to prison with- 
out good cause shewed before. Upon re- 
ceipt of Sir Edward's letter, Everard dis- 
charged me, I taking the oaths of allegiance 
and supremacy. This day's work cost me 
thirty-seven shillings. Afterwards Everard 
stood to be Burgess for Westminster ; sent 
me to procure him voices. I returned an- 
swer, that of all men living he deserved no 
courtesy from me, nor should have any. 

In this year 1660, I sued out my pardon 
under the Broad Seal of England, being so 
advised by good counsel, because there 
should be no obstruction ; I passed as Wil- 
liam Lilly, Citizen and Salter of London ; it 
cost me thirteen pounds six shillings and 
eight pence. 
- There happened a verification of an astro- 



208 LILLY'S HISTORY 

logical judgment of mine in this year, 1660, 
which, because it was predicted sixteen years 
before it came to pass, and the year expressly 
nominated, I thought fit to mention. 

In page 111 of my Prophetical Merlin, 
upon three sextile Aspects of Saturn and 
Jupiter, made in 1659 and 1660, I wrote 
thus — 

' This their friendly salutation comforts 
us in England, every man now possesses his 
own vineyard ; our young youth grow up 
unto man's estate, and our old men live their 
full years ; our nobles and gentlemen root 
again ; our yeomanry, many years disconso- 
lated, now take pleasure in their husbandry. 
The merchant sends out ships, and hath pros- 
perous returns ; the mechanick hath quick 
trading : here is almost a new world ; new 
laws, new Lords. Now my country of Eng- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 209 

land shall shed no more tears, but rejoice 
with, and in the many blessings God gives or 
affords her annually/ 

And in the same book, page 118, over- 
againstthe year 1660, you shall find, A bonny 
Scot acts his part. 

The long Parliament would give Charles 
the Second no other title than King of Scots. 

I also wrote to Sir Edward Walker, Kt. 
Garter King at Arms in 1659, he then being 
in Holland— 

Tu, Dominusque vester videbitis Angliam, 
infra duos annos. — For in 1662, his moon 
came by direction to the body of the sun. 

But he came in upon the ascendant directed 
unto the trine of Sol and antiscion of Jupi- 
ter. 

And happy it was for the nation he did 
come in, and long and prosperously may 
he reign amongst us. 



210 LILLY'S HISTORY 

In 1663 and 1664, I had along and tedious 
law-suit in Chancery, M. C. coming to quar- 
tile of Saturn ; and the occasion of that suit, 
was concerning houses ; and my enemy, 
though aged, had no beard, was really satur- 
nine. We came unto a hearing Feb. 1661, 
before the Master of the Rolls, Sir Harbottle 
Grimston, where I had the victory, but no 
costs given me. 

My adversary, not satisfied with that judg- 
ment, petitioned that most just and honour- 
able man, the Lord Chancellor Hyde, for a 
re-hearing his cause before him. 

It was N granted, and the 13th June, 1664, 
my M. C. then directed to quartile of Venus 
and Sol. His Lordship most judiciously 
heard it with much attention, and when my 
adversary's counsel had urged those deposi- 
tions which they had against me, his Lordship 
stood up, and said, 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 211 

' Here is not one word against Mr. Lilly.'— 

I replied, ' My Lord, I hope I shall have 
costs.' 

% Very good reason,' saith he ; and so I 
had : and, at my departure out of court, put 
off his hat, and bid ' God be with you.' 

This is the month of Dec. 1667, wherein, 
by misfortune, he is much traduced and high- 
ly persecuted by his enemies : is also retired, 
however not in the least questioned for any 
indirect judgment as Chancellor, in the Chan- 
cery ; [but in other things he hath been very 
foul, as in the articles drawn up by the Par- 
liament against him, it appears. Which arti- 
cles I presume you have not seen, otherwise 
you would have been of another mind, A W] 
for there was never any person sat in that 
place, who executed justice with more up- 
rightness, or judgment, or quickness for dis- 
patch, than this very noble Lord. God, I 



212 LILLY'S HISTORY 

hope, in mercy will preserve his person from 
his enemies, and in good time restore him 
unto all his honours again : from my soul I 
wish it, and hope I shall live to see it. Amen : 
Fiat oh tu Deusjustitice. 

In 1663 and 1664, I was made church- 
warden of Walton upon Thames, settling as 
well as I could the affairs of that distracted 
parish, upon my own charges ; and upon my 
leaving the place, forgave them seven pounds 
odd money due unto me. 

In 1664, I had another law-suit with Cap- 
tain Colborn, Lord of the manor of Esher, 
concerning the rights of the parish of Walton. 
He had newly purchased that manor, and 
having one hundred and fifty acres of ground, 
formerly park and wood ground lying in our 
parish, conceived, he had right of common in 
our parish of Walton : thereupon he puts 
three hundred sheep upon the common ; part 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 213 

whereof I impounded: he replevins them, 
and gave me a ( declaration. I answered it. 
The trial was to be at the Assizes at Kingston 
in April 1664. When the day of trial came, 
he had not one witness in his cause, I had 
many ; whereupon upon conference, and by 
mediation, he gave me eleven pounds for my 
charges sustained in that suit, whereof I re- 
turned him back again fifty shillings : forty 
shillings for himself, and ten shillings for the 
poor of the parish he lived in. 

This I did at my own cost and charges, 
not one parishioner joining with me. I had 
now M. C. under quartile of Venus and Sol 
— both in my second, ergo, I got money by 
this thing, or suit. Sir Bolstrode Whitlock 
gave me counsel. 

Now I come unto the year 1665, wherein 
that horrible and devouring plague so ex- 
treamly raged in the city of London. 27th 



214 LILLY'S HISTORY 

of June 1665, I retired into the country to 
my wife and family, where since I have 
wholly continued, and so intend by permis- 
sion of God. I had, before I came away, 
very many people of the poorer sort fre- 
quented my lodging, many whereof were so 
civil, as when they brought waters, viz. 
urines, from infected people, they would 
stand purposely at a distance. I ordered 
those infected, and not like to die, cordials, 
and caused them to sweat, whereby many 
recovered. My landlord of the house was 
afraid of those poor people, I nothing at all. 
He was desirous I should be gone. He had 
four children : I took them with me into the 
country and provided for them. Six weeks 
after I departed, he, his wife, and man-servant 
died of the plague. 

In Monarchy or no Monarchy, printed 1651, 
I had framed an Hieroglyphick, which you 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 215 

may see in page the 7th, representing a great 
sickness and mortality; wherein you may 
see the representation of people in their wind- 
ing-sheets, persons digging graves and sepul- 
tures, coffins, &c. All this was performed 
by the more secret Key of Astrology, or Pro- 
phetical Astrology. 

In 1666, happened that miraculous confla- 
gration in the city of London, whereby in four 
days, the most part thereof was consumed by 
fire. In my Monarchy or no Monarchy, the 
next side after the coffins and pickaxes, there 
is a representation of a great city all in flames 
of fire. The memorial whereof some Parlia- 
ment men remembering, thought fit to send 
for me before that Committee which then did 
sit, for examination of the causes of the fire ; 
and whether there was no treachery or de- 
sign in the business, his Majesty being then 
in war both with the French and Dutch. 



216 LILLY'S HISTORY 

The summons to appear before that Commit- 
tee was as folio weth. 

"Monday, 22d October •, 1666. 

"At the Committee appointed to enquire 
after the causes of the late fires : 

"Ordered, 

" That Mr. Lilly do attend this Committee 
on Friday next, being the 25th of October, 
1666, at two of the clock in the afternoon, in 
the Speaker's chamber ; to answer such ques- 
tions as shall be then and there asked him. 

"Robert Brooke." 

By accident I was then in London, when 
the summons came unto me. I was timorous 
of Committees, being ever by some of them 
calumniated, upbraided, scorned, and de- 
rided. However I must and did appear ; and 



OF HIS LIFE AtfD TIMES. 217 

let me never forget that great affection and 
care yourself (Oh most excellent and learned 
Esquire Ashmole) shewed unto me at that 
time. First, your affection in going along 
with me all that day ; secondly, your great 
pains and care, in speaking unto many wor- 
thy Members of that Committee your ac- 
quaintance, that they should befriend me, 
and not permit me to be affronted, or have 
any disgraceful language cast upon me. I 
must seriously acknowledge the persuasions 
so prevailed with those generous souls, that 
I conceive there was never more civility used 
unto any than unto myself; and you know, 
there were no small number of Parliament 
men appeared, when they heard I was to be 
there. 

Sir Robert Brooke spoke to this purpose : 

< Mr. Lilly, This Committee thought fit to 

summon you to appear before them this day, 



218 LILLY'S HISTORY 

to know, if you can say any thing as to the 
cause of the late fire, or whether there might 
be any design therein. You are called the 
rather hither, because in a book of your's, long 
since printed, you hinted some such thing 
by one of your hieroglyphics.' Unto which 
I replied, 

' May it please your Honours, 

' After the beheading of the late King, con- 
sidering that in the three subsequent years 
the Parliament acted nothing which concern- 
ed the settlement of the nation in peace ; and 
seeing the generality of people dissatisfied, 
the citizens of London discontented, the sol- 
diery prone to mutiny, I was desirous, accord- 
ing to the best knowledge God had given me, 
to make enquiry by the art I studied, what 
might from that time happen unto the Parlia- 
ment and nation in general. At last, having 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 219 

satisfied myself as well as I could, and perfect- 
ed my judgment therein, I thought it most 
convenient to signify my intentions and con- 
ceptions thereof, in Forms, Shapes, Types, 
Hieroglyphicks, &c. without any commen- 
tary, that so my judgment might be concealed 
from the vulgar, and made manifest only unto 
the wise. I herein imitating the examples of 
many wise philosophers who had done the 
like.' 

* Sir Robert,' saith one, ' Lilly is yet sub 
vestibulo.' 

I proceeded further. Said I, ' Having 
found, Sir, that the city of London should be 
sadly afflicted with a great plague, and not 
long after with an exorbitant fire, I framed 
these two hieroglyphics as represented in the 
book, which in effect have proved very 
true.' 

6 Did you foresee the year V said one. 



220 LILLY'S HISTORY 

' I did not,' said I, ' or was desirous : of 
that I made no scrutiny.' I proceeded — 

1 Now, Sir, whether there was any design 
of burning the city, or any employed to that 
purpose, I must deal ingenuously with you, 
that since the fire, I have taken much pains 
in the search thereof, but cannot or could 
not give myself any the least satisfaction 
therein. I conclude, that it was the only 
finger of God ; but what instruments he used 
thereunto, I am ignorant.' 

The Committee seemed well pleased with 
what I spoke, and dismissed me with great 
civility. 

Since which time no memorable action 
hath happened unto me, my retirement im 
peding all concourse unto me. 

I have many things more to communicate, 
which I shall do, as they offer themselves to 
memory. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 221 

In anno 1634, and 1635, I had much fa- 
miliarity with John Hegenius, Doctor of 
Physick, a Dutchman, an excellent scholar 
and an able physician, not meanly versed in 
astrology. Unto him, for his great civility, 
I communicated the art of framing Sigils, 
Lamens, &c. and the use of the Mosaical 
Rods : — and we did create several Sigils to 
very good purpose. I gave him the true 
key thereof, viz. instructed him of their 
forms, characters, words, and last of all, 
how to give them vivification, and what num- 
ber or numbers were appropriated to every 
planet : Cum multis aliis in libris veterum la- 
tentibus ; aut perspicuh non intellectis. 

I was well acquainted with the Speculator 
of John a Windor, a scrivener, sometimes 
living in Newbury. This Windor was club- 
fisted, wrote with a pen betwixt both his 
hands. I have seen many bonds and bills 



222 LILLYS HISTORY 

wrote by him. He was much given to de- 
bauchery, so that at some times the Daemons 
would not appear to the Speculator ; he 
would then suffumigate : sometimes, to vex 
the spirits, he would curse them, fumigate 
with contraries. Upon his examination be- 
fore Sir Henry Wallop, Kt. which I have 
seen, he said, he once visited Dr. Dee in 
Mortlack ; and out of a book that lay in the 
window, he copied out that call which he 

used, when he invocated 

It was that — which near the beginning of 
it hath these words, 

Per virtutem illorum qui invocant nomen tuum, 
Hermeli — mitte nobis tres Angelos, fyc. 

Windor had many good parts, but was a 
most lewd person : My master Wright knew 
him well, and having dealing in those parts, 
made use of him as a scrivener. 




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OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 223 

Oliver Withers, servant to Sir H. Wallop, 
brought up John aWindor's examination un- 
to London, purposely for me to peruse. This 
Withers was Mr. Fiske's scholar three years 
more or less, to learn astrology of him ; but 
being never the wiser, Fiske brought him 
unto me : by shewing him but how to judge 
one figure, his eyes were opened : He made 
the Epistle before Dr. Neve's book, now in 
Mr. Sander's hands, was very learned in the 
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew tongues. 

Having mentioned. Dr. John Dee, I hold it 
not impertinent to speak something of him ; 
but more especially of Edward Kelly's Spe- 
culator. 

Dr. Dee himself was a Cambro Briton, 
educated in the university of Oxford, there 
took his degree of Doctor; afterwards for 
many years in search of the profo under stu- 
dies, travelled into foreign parts : to be se- 



224 LILLY'S HISTORY 

rious, he was Queen Elizabeth's intelligencer, 
and had a salary for his maintenance from 
the Secretaries of State. He was a ready- 
witted man, quick of apprehension, very 
learned, and of great judgment in the Latin 
and Greek tongues. He was a very great 
investigator of the more secret Hermetical 
learning, a perfect astronomer, a curious 
astrologer, a serious geometrician ; to speak 
truth, he was excellent in all kinds of learn- 
ing. 

With all this, he was the most ambitious 
person living, and most desirous of fame and 
renown, and was never so well pleased as 
when he heard himself stiled Most Excellent. 

He was studious in chymistry, and attained 
to good perfection therein ; but his servant, 
or rather companion, Kelly, out-went him, 
viz. about the Elixir or Philosopher's Stone ; 
which neither Kelly or Dee attained by their 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 225 

own labour and industry. It was in this 
manner Kelly obtained it, as I had it related 
from an ancient minister, who knew the cer- 
tainty thereof from an old English merchant, 
resident in Germany, at what time both Kelly 
and Dee were there. 

Dee and Kelly being in the confines of the 
Emperor's dominions, in a city where resided 
many English merchants, with whom they 
had much familiarity, there happened an old 
Friar to come to Dr. Dee's lodging. Knock- 
ing at the door, Dee peeped down the stairs. 
* Kelly,' says he, ' tell the old man I am not 
at home.' Kelly did so. The Friar said, 
' I will take another time to wait on him.' 
Some few days after, he came again. Dee 
ordered Kelly, if it were the same person, to 
deny him again. He did so ; at which the 
Friar was very angry. ' Tell thy master I 
came to speak with him and to do him 

Q 



226 LILLY'S HISTORY 

good, because he is a great scholar and fa- 
mous ; but now tell him, he put forth a book, 
and dedicated it to the Emperor : it is called 
Monas Hierogliphicas. He understands it 
not. I wrote it myself, I came to instruct 
him therein, and in some other more pro- 
found things. Do thou, Kelly, come along 
with me, I will make thee more famous than 
thy master Dee.' 

Kelly was very apprehensive of what the 
Friar delivered, and thereupon suddenly re- 
tired from Dee, and wholly applied unto the 
Friar ; and of him either had the Elixir ready 
made, or the perfect method of its prepara- 
tion and making. The poor Friar lived a 
very short time after : whether he died a 
natural death, or was otherwise poisoned or 
made away by Kelly, the merchant, who re- 
lated this, did not certainly know. 

How Kelly died afterwards at Prague, you 




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OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 227 

well know : he was born at Worcester, had 
been an apothecary. Not above thirty years 
since he had a sister lived in Worcester, who 
had some gold made by her brother's projec- 
tion. 

Dr. Dee died at Mortlack in Surrey, very 
poor, enforced many times to sell some book 
or other to buy his dinner with, as Dr. Na- 
pier of Linford, in Buckinghamshire, oft re- 
lated, who knew him very well. 

I have read over his book of Conference 
with Spirits, and thereby perceive many 
weaknesses in the manage of that way of 
Mosaical learning : but I conceive, the rea- 
son why he had not more plain resolutions, 
and more to the purpose, was, because Kelly 
was very vicious, unto whom the angels were 
not obedient, or willingly did declare the 
questions propounded ; but I could give other 
reasons, but those are not for paper. 



228 LILLY'S HISTORY 

I was very familiar with one Sarah Skel- 
horn, who had been Speculatrix unto one 
Arthur Gauntlet about Gray's-Inn-Lane, a 
very lewd fellow, professing physick. This 
Sarah had a perfect sight, and indeed the 
best eyes for that purpose I ever yet did see. 
Gauntlet's books, after he was dead, were 
sold, after I had perused them, to my scholar 
Humphreys : there were rare notions in them. 
This Sarah lived a long time, even until her 
death, with one Mrs. Stockman in the Isle 
of Purbeck, and died about sixteen years 
since. Her mistress one time being desirous 
to accompany her mother, the Lady Becons- 
field, unto London, who lived twelve miles 
from her habitation, caused Sarah to inspect 
her crystal, to see if she, viz. her mother, 
was gone, yea or not : the angels appeared, 
and shewed her mother opening a trunk, and 
taking out a red waistcoat, whereby she per- 






OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 229 

ceived she was not gone. Next day she 
went to her mother's, and there, as she en- 
tered the chamber, she was opening a trunk, 
and had a red waistcoat in her hand. Sarah 
told me oft, the angels would for some years 
follow her, and appear in every room of the 
house, until she was weary of them. 

This Sarah Skelhorn, her call unto the 
crystal began, 

* Oh ye good angels, only and only, &c. 
Ellen Evans, daughter of my tutor Evans, 
her call unto the crystal was this : 

' O Micol, O tu Micol, regina pigmeorwn 
veni, 8fc.' 

Since I have related of the Queen of Fai- 
ries, I shall acquaint you, that it is not for 
every one, or every person, that these ange- 
lical creatures will appear unto, though they 
may say over the call, over and over, or 
indeed is it given to very many persons to 



230 LILLY'S HISTORY 

endure their glorious aspects; even very 
many have failed just at that present when 
they are ready to manifest themselves ; even 
persons otherwise of undaunted spirits and 
firm resolution, are herewith astonished, and 
tremble ; as it happened not many years 
since with us. A very sober discreet person, 
of virtuous life and conversation, was beyond 
measure desirous to see something in this 
nature. He went with a friend into my 
Hurst Wood : the Queen of Fairies was in- 
vocated, a gentle murmuring wind came 
first ; after that, amongst the hedges, a smart 
whirlwind ; by and by a strong blast of wind 
blew upon the face of the friend, — and the 
Queen appearing in a most illustrious glory, 

• No more, I beseech you,' (quoth the friend :) 

* My heart fails ; I am not able to endure 
longer.' Nor was he : his black curling 
hair rose up, and I believe a bullrush would 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 231 

have beat him to the ground : he was soundly 
laughed at, &c. 

Sir Robert Holborn, Knight, brought once 
unto me *Gladwell of Suffolk, who had for- 
merly had sight and conference with Uriel 
and Raphael, but lost them both by careless- 
ness ; so that neither of them both would 
but rarely appear, and then presently be gone, 
resolving nothing. He would have given me 
two hundred pounds to have assisted him for 
their recovery, but I am no such man. — 
Those glorious creatures, if well commanded, 
and well observed, do teach the master any 
thing he desires ; Amant secreta, fugiunt 
aperta. The Fairies love the southern side 

* Mr. Gilbert Wakering gave him his berril when he 
died ; it was of the largeness of a good big orange, set in 
silver, with a cross on the top, and another on the handle ; 
and round about engraved the names of these angels, 
Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel. 



232 LILLY'S HISTORY 

of hills, mountains, groves. — Neatness and 
cleanliness in apparel, a strict diet, and up- 
right life, fervent prayers unto God, conduce 
much to the assistance of those who are curi- 
ous these ways. 

It hath been my happiness to meet with 
many rarities in my time unexpectedly. I 
had a sister lived in the Minories, in that very 
house where formerly had lived one Evans, 
not my tutor, but another far exceeding him 
in astrology, and all other occult learning, 
questioned for his life about 1612. I am sure 
it was when the present Earl of Manchester's 
father was Lord Chief Justice of England. 
He was found guilty by a peevish Jury : but 
petitioning King James by a Greek petition, 
as indeed he was an excellent Grecian ; ' By 
mysaul,' said King James, * this man shall 
not die ; I think he is a better Grecian than 
any of my Bishops :' so his life was spared, 



OF ttIS LIFE AND TIMES. 233 

&c. My sister's master when new model- 
ling the house, broke up a window, under 
which were Evans's secret manuscripts,* and 
two moulds in brass ; one of a man, the other 
of a woman. I bought the moulds and 
book for five shillings; the secrets were 
wrote in an imperfect Greek character ; but 
after I found the vowels, all the rest were 
presently clear enough. 

You see, most worthy Sir, I write freely ; 
it is out of the sincerity of my affection, many 
things wrote by me having been more fit for a 
sepulture than a book : But, 

Quo major est virorum prcestantium, tui si- 
millum inopia; eo mihi charior est, 8$ esse debet 
8$ amicitia tua : quam quidem omnibus officiis, 
8$ studiis, quae a summa benevolentia possunt, 
perpetud colam: However, who study the 

* From these manuscripts he gained his first knowledge, 



234 LILLY'S HISTORY 

curiosities before-named, if they are not very 
well versed in astrology, they shall rarely at- 
tain their desired ends. There was, in the 
late times of troubles, one Mortlack, who 
pretended unto Speculations, had a crystal, 
a call of Queen Mab, one of the Queen of 
Fairies ; he deluded many thereby : at last I 
was brought into his company ; he was de- 
sired to make invocation, he did so ; nothing 
appeared, or would : three or four times in 
my company he was put upon to do the work, 
but could not ; at last he said he could do 
nothing as long as I was in presence. I at 
last shewed him his error, but left him as I 
found him, a pretending ignoramus. 

I may seem to some to write incredibilia ; 
be it so, but knowing unto whom, and for 
whose only sake, I do write them, I am much 
comforted therewith, well knowing you are 
the most knowing man in these curiosities of 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 235 

any now living in England ; and therefore it 
is my hope, these will be a present well-be- 
coming you to accept. 

Pr cedar a omnia quam difficilia sint, his prce- 
sertim temporibus. (Cekberrime Armiger,) 
non te fugit; and therefore I will acquaint 
you with one memorable story related unto 
me by Mr. John Man*, an excellent mathema- 
tican and geometrician, whom I conceive you 
remember : he was servant to King James 
and Charles the First. 

At first, when the Lord Napier, or Mar- 
chiston, made publick his Logarithms, Mr. 
Briggs, then reader of the astronomy lecture 
at Gresham-College in London, was so sur- 
prized with admiration of them, that he could 
have no quietness in himself, until he had 
seen that noble person the Lord Marchiston, 
whose only invention they were : he ac- 
quaints John Marr herewith, who went into 



236 LILLY'S HISTORY 

Scotland before Mr. Briggs, purposely to be 
there when these two so learned persons 
should meet. Mr. Briggs appoints a certain 
day when to meet at Edinburgh : but failing 
thereof, the Lord Napier was doubtful he 
would not come. It happened one day 
as John Marr and the Lord Napier were 
speaking of Mr. Briggs ; ' Ah, John,' saith 
Marchiston, ' Mr. Briggs will not now 
come:' at the very instant one knocks at the 
gate ; John Marr hasted down, and it proved 
Mr. Briggs, to his great contentment. He 
brings Mr. Briggs up into my Lord's cham- 
ber, where almost one quarter of an hour 
was spent, each beholding the other almost 
with admiration, before one word was spoke : 
at last Mr. Briggs began. 

* My Lord, I have undertaken this long 
journey purposely to see your person, and 
to know by what engine of wit or ingenuity 




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OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 237 

you came first to think of this most excellent 
help unto astronomy, viz. the Logarithms; 
but, my Lord, being by you found out, I 
wonder no body else found it out before, 
when, now known, it is so easy.' He was 
nobly entertained by the Lord Napier, and 
every summer after that, during the Lord's 
being alive, this venerable man, Mr. Briggs, 
went purposely into Scotland to visit him ; 
Tempora nunc mutantur. 

These two persons were worthy men in 
their time ; and yet the one, viz. Lord Mar- 
chiston, was a great lover of astrology, but 
Briggs the most satirical man against it that 
hath been known : but the reason hereof I 
conceive was, that Briggs was a severe Pres- 
byterian, and wholly conversant with persons 
of that judgment; whereas the Lord Mar- 
chiston was a general scholar, and deeply 
read in all divine and human histories : it is 



238 LILLY'S HISTORY 

the same Marchiston who made that most 
serious and learned exposition upon the Re- 
velation of St. John ; which is the best that 
ever yet appeared in the world. 

Thus far proceeded Mr. William Lilly in 
setting down the account of his life, with 
some other things of note. Now shall be 
added something more which afterwards hap- 
pened during his retirement at his house at 
Hersham, until his death. 

He left London in the year 1665, (as he 
hath before noted) and betook himself to the 
study of physick ; in which, having arrived 
at a competent degree of knowledge, assisted 
by diligent observation and practice, he de- 
sired his old friend, Mr. Ashmole, to obtain 
of his Grace Dr. Sheldon, then Lord Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, a license for the prac- 
tice of physick ; which upon application to 



OF HIS LTFE AND TIMES. 239 

his Grace, and producing a testimonial [Oc- 
tober 8, 1670,] under the hands of two phy- 
sicians of the college in London, on Mr. 
Lilly's behalf, he most readily granted, in 
the manner following, viz. 

' Gilbertus providentia divina Cantua- 
riensis Archiepiscopus totius Angliae Primas 
& Metropolitanus, dilecto nobis in Christo 
Gu li elmo Lilly in Medicinis Professori, 
salutem, gratiam, & benedictionem. Cum 
ex fide digna relatione acceperimus Te in 
arte sive facultate Medicinse per non modi- 
cum tempus versatum fuisse, multisque de 
salute & sanitate corporis vere desperatis 
(Deo Omnipotente adjuvante) subvenisse, 
eosque sanasse, nee non in arte predicta 
multorum peritorum laudabili testimonio pro 
experientia, fidelitate, diligentia & industria 
tuis circa curas quas susceperis peragendas 
in hujusmodi Arte Medicinae meritd com- 



240 LILLY'S HISTORY 

mendatum esse, ad practicandum igitur & 
exercendum dictam Artem Medicinae in, & 
per totam Provinciara nostram Cant' (Civi- 
tate Lond' & circuitu septem milliarum eidem 
prox' adjacen' tantummodo exceptis) ex 
causis praedictis & aliis nos in hac per te 
juste moventibus, praestito primitus per te 
juramento de agnoscendo Regiam suprema 
potestatem in causis ecclesiastieis & tempo- 
ralibus ac de renunciando, refutando, & recu- 
sando omni, & omnimodae jurisdiction!, potes- 
tati, authoritati & superioritati foraneis juxta 
vim formam & effectum statui Parliamenti 
hujus inclyti Regni Angliae in ea parte editi 
& provisi quantum nobis per statuta hujus 
Regni Angliae liceat & non aliter neque alio 
modo te admittimus & approbamus, tibique 
Licentiam & Facultatem nostras in hac parte, 
tenore praesentium quamdiu te bene & lauda- 
biliter gesseris benigne concedimus & elargi- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 241 

mur. In cujus rei testimonium sigillum(quo 
in hac parte utimur) praesentibus apponi fe- 
cimus. Dat. undecimo die mensis Octobris, 
Anno Domini 1670. Nostraeque translationis 
Anno Octavo. 

Sigillum Radulph. Snowe 

et }»Registrarii. 

Edm. Sherman 

S. Rich. Lloyd, Sur. 

* Vicarii in Spiritualibus Generalis 
per Provinciam Cantuariensem.' 

Hereupon he began to practise more open- 
ly, and with good success ; and every Satur- 
day rode to Kingston, where the poorer sort 
flocked to him from several parts, and re- 
ceived much benefit by his advice and pre- 
scriptions, which he gave them freely, and 




242 LILLY'S HISTORY 

without money. From those that were more 
able, he now and then received a shilling, 
and sometimes an half crown, if they offered it 
to him, otherwise he demanded nothing ; 
and, in truth, his charity towards poor peo- 
ple was very great, no less than the care and 
pains he took in considering and weighing 
their particular cases, and applying proper 
remedies to their infirmities, which gained 
him extraordinary credit and estimation. 

He was of a strong constitution, and con- 
tinued generally in good health, till the 16th 
of August 1674, when a violent humour dis- 
covered itself in red spots all over his body, 
with little pushes in his head. This, in the 
winter [18 December] following, was se- 
conded by a distemper whereof he fell sick, 
and was let blood in the left foot, a little 
above the ancle. 

The 20th of December following, a hu- 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 243 

mour descended from his head to his left 
side, from eight o'clock at night till the next 
morning; and then staying a while in the 
calf of his leg, at length descended towards 
his toes, the anguish whereof put him into a 
fever. This humour fixed in two places on 
the top of his left foot (one in that where he 
was let blood two days before) which (upon 
application of pledgets) growing ripe, they 
were [28 Dec] lanced by Mr. Agar of King- 
ston, his apothecary (and no less a skilful 
Surgeon:) after which he began to be at 
ease, his fever abated, and within five months 
the cure was perfected. 

The 7th of November 1675, he was taken 
with a violent fit of vomiting for some hours, 
to which a fever succeeded, that continued 
four months : this brought his body exceed- 
ing low, together with a dimness in his eyes, 



244 LILLY'S HISTORY 

which after occasioned him to make use of 
Mr. Henry Coley, as his amanuensis, to tran- 
scribe (from his dictates) his astrological 
judgments for the year 1677 ; but the month- 
ly observations for that year, were written 
with his own hand some time before, though 
by this time he was grown very dim-sighted. 
His judgments and observations for the suc- 
ceeding years, till his death, (so also for the 
year 1682,) were all composed by his direc- 
tions, Mr. Coley coming to Hersham the be- 
ginning of every summer, and stayed there, 
till, by conference with him, he had dis- 
patched them for the press; to whom, at 
these opportunities, he communicated his 
way of judgment, and other astrological ar- 
canas. 

In the beginning of the year 1681, he had 
a flux, which weakened him much, yet after 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 253 

Which long expected was, and might have still 
Expected been, had not our nation's ill 
Drawn from the heavens a sympathetic tear : 
England hath cause a second drought to fear. 
We have no second LILLY, who may die, 
And by his death may make the heavens cry. 
Then let your annals, Coley, want this day, 
Think every year leap-year ; or if 't must stay, 
Cloath it in black; let a sad note stand by, 
And stigmatize it to posterity. 

Here follows the Copy of an Indictment filed 
against Mr. Lilly, for which see page 167 
of his Life. 

The jurors for the Lord Protector of the com- 
monwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 
&c. upon their oaths do present, that William 
Lilly, late of the Parish of St. Clements 
Danes, in the County of Middlesex, Gent, 
not having the fear of God before his eyes, 
but being moved and seduced by the insti- 



254 LILLY'S HISTORY 

gationof the devil, the 10th day of July, in 
the Year of our Lord, 1654, at the Parish 
aforesaid, in the County aforesaid, wickedly, 
unlawfully, and deceitfully, did take upon 
him, the said William Lilly, by inchantment, 
charm, and sorcery, to tell and declare to one 
Anne East, the wife of Alexander East, where 
ten waistcoats, of the value of five pounds, 
of the goods and chattels of the said Alexan- 
der East, then lately before lost and stolen 
from the said Alexander East, should be 
found and become ; and two shilling and six- 
pence in monies numbred, of the monies of 
the said Alexander, from the said Anne East, 
then and there unlawfully and deceitfully, 
he, the said William Lilly, did take, receive, 
and had, to tell and declare to her the said 
Anne, where the said goods, so lost and stolen 
as aforesaid, should be found and become : 
And also that he, the said William Lilly, on 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 255 

the said tenth day of July, in the Year of our 
Lord, 1654, and divers other days and times, 
as well before as afterwards,. at the said Parish 
aforesaid, in the County aforesaid, unlawfully 
and deceitfully did take upon him, the said 
William Lilly, by inchantment, charm, and 
sorcery, to tell and declare to divers other 
persons, to the said jurors, yet unknown, 
where divers goods, chattels, and things of 
the said persons yet unknown, there lately 
before lost and stolen from the said persons 
yet unknown, should be found and become ; 
and divers sums of monies of the said persons 
yet unknown, then and there unlawfully and 
deceitfully, he the said William Lilly did take, 
receive, and had, to tell and declare to the 
said persons yet unknown, where their goods, 
chattels, and things, so lost and stolen, as 
aforesaid, should be found and become, in 
contempt of the laws of England, to the great 



256 LILLY'S HISTORY 

damage and deceit of the said Alexander and 
Anne, and of the said other persons yet un- 
known, to the evil and pernicious example of 
all others in the like case offending, against 
the form of the statute in this case made and 
provided, and against the publick peace, &c. 

Anne East, 
Emme Spencer, 
Jane Gold, 
Katherine Roberts, 
Susannah Hulinge. 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 257 



Butlers Character of William Lilly. 



* " A cunning man, hight Sidrophel. 
That deals in destiny's dark counsels, 
And sage opinions of the moon sells ; 
To whom all people, far and near, 
On deep importances repair ; 
When brass and pewter hap to stray, 
And linen slinks out of the way : 

* A cunning man, hight Sidrophel.] "William Lilly, the famous 
astrologer of those times, who in his yearly almanacks foretold victories for 
the parliament with as much certainty as the Preachers did in their sermons ; 
and all or most part of what is ascribed to him by the Poet, the reader will 
find verified in his " Letter," (if we may believe it) wrote by himself to 
Elias Ashmole, Esq." For further curious information respecting William 
Lilly, the reader may consult Dr. Grey's Notes to Uvdibras, vol. ii. page 
163, &c Edition 1819, in 3 vols. 8vo. 



258 LILLY'S HISTORY 

When geese and pullen are seduc'd, 
And sows of sucking pigs are clious'd : 
When cattle feel indisposition, 
And need th' opinion of physician ; 
When murrain reigns in hogs or sheep, 
And chickens languish of the pip ; 
When yeast and outward means do fail, 
And have no power to work on ale ; 
When butter does refuse to come, 
And love proves cross and humoursome ; 
To him with questions and with urine, 

They for discov'ry flock, or curing. . 

# * * * * * 

He had been long t' wards mathematics, 
Opticks, philosophy, and staticks, 
Magick, horoscopy, astrology, 
And was old dog at physiology : 
But, as a dog that turns the spit, 
Bestirs himself, and plies his feet 
To climb the wheel, but all in vain, 
His own weight brings him down again ; 
And still he's in the self-same place, 
Where at his setting out he was : 



s 



OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 259 

So, in the circle of the arts, 
Did he advance his nat'ral parts : 
Till falling back still, for retreat, 
He fell to juggle, cant, and cheat : 
For as those fowls that live in water 
Are never wet, he did but smatter : 
Whate'er he labour'd to appear, 

His understanding still was clear, ta 

Yet none a deeper knowledge boasted, 

Since old Hodge Bacon, and Bob Grosted, 

* * * * * * 

Do not our great Reformers use 
This Sidrophel to forebode news ? 
To write of victories next year, 
And castles taken yet i'th' air? 
Of battles fought at sea, and ships 
Sunk, two years hence, the last eclipse ? 
A total o'erthrow giv'n the King 
In Cornwall, horse and foot, next spring? 
And has not he point-blank foretold r - 

Whatso'er the Close Committee would;? 
Made Mars and Saturn for the cause, 
The Moon for fundamental laws ; 



260 LILLY'S HISTORY OF HIS LIFE, &c. 

The Ram, the Bull, the Goat, declare 
Against the Book of Common Prayer ; 
The Scorpion take the Protestation, 
And Bear engage for Reformation ; 
Made all the royal stars recant, 
Compound, and take the covenant." 



LBAp'3C 



THE END 



MAURICE, PRINTER, FENCIIURCH STREET. 



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